


It's Not About Supposed To...

by gsbhITgirlOlicityForever



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Arrow - Freeform, Babbling Felicity Smoak, Blackmail, Broody Lite Oliver Queen, CEO Oliver Queen, Canon Divergence, Cat Burglars, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Genius Felicity Smoak, Humor, Jealous Oliver Queen, John is the best, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Violence, Oliver is Really Sexy, Protective Oliver, References to Addiction, Slow Burn, Sweet Oliver Queen, Team Arrow, The Arrow Shows Up, Too Many Billionaires, UST, Very minimal reference to threat of Rape, olicity - Freeform, yes there is plot, zombies - sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:07:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 61,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gsbhITgirlOlicityForever/pseuds/gsbhITgirlOlicityForever
Summary: Felicity is being wooed by a billionaire, unfortunately, it’s the wrong billionaire. How will Oliver deal with this? About as you’d expect, good, bad, and in a totally clueless Oliver type way. Come along for hijinks, humor, black mail, late night chats, Oliver being very Arrow-y…and yes, full on, slow burn, but always inevitable, Olicity.
Relationships: Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 199
Kudos: 192





	1. Ejector Buttons and Evening Gowns

**Author's Note:**

> HI. So, this is my very first fanfiction, in any fandom. I’ve done a good bit of writing in other ways, but nothing like this. So…I’m very nervous. I know I am WAY late to the Arrow fandom (a very small silver lining to living in a pandemic, way too much time to binge shows on Netflix) but by the end of the first season, I was pretty much over the top in love, with Oliver Queen, The Arrow, Felicity Smoak, John Diggle, and firmly on team #Olicity. 
> 
> When I started writing, I didn’t think specifically about where in the timeline of the show this would fit, while it’s in the same Universe, I think it’s best described as Canon divergence…I would say thematically it’s within the first two seasons, which capture the feel for what I loved about the show, and how I thought it should have felt throughout it’s run. So…the characters within are largely from that period of time, but I’ve played a bit with when they appear, how they appear, some of their back stories (well, primarily Roy’s), and make reference to both events and villains, differently than they may have appeared or happened. And…just for fun, I’ve introduced a couple of original characters, but these never take more importance than canon characters.
> 
> I loved Oliver as CEO, I thought he should have stayed a CEO by day, and a vigilante by night, so that’s what happens here. I’m sure there are some OOC moments, but I teased out things I loved about the characters, that weren’t explicit, and also for specific ways in which they contribute to the story. My Felicity is what I saw and loved about her, and I hope that I accurately convey my thoughts about her; she’s brilliant, strong, kind, funny, and while confident in many areas…still socially awkward in those moments that may not be her natural environment. But who she is, her importance, both to TA and to Oliver, are never in doubt. 
> 
> This note is really long but one more thing, I always say, I am not a math and science person, I’m a word person…so anytime I talk about tech, or computers etc…please give me some grace. I’ve tried to just utilize some of the phrases from the show, and in some instances picked the brain of my husband who is an Engineer. (and I know nothing about personal security, I just sort of winged it when talking about John as bodyguard)
> 
> I will always write Olicity, but – this is definitely a slow burn, so please be patient. And, regarding patience – this whole story is written, I will be posting them as I edit each chapter…sometimes that could be every day, every other day, or a bit longer, depending on my other obligations, but it will ALL be posted. So stay tuned.
> 
> If you’re here, thank you so much. I hope to hear from you, and I just ask…please be kind. I’m very used to constructive criticism in my writing, but as I said…very nervous about this new writing venture. 
> 
> This first chapter is very short - they will definitely get longer as we go along.
> 
> So – here we go, and Enjoy!
> 
> p.s. This is un-betaed, so all mistakes are mine. ;-)
> 
> p.s.s. Right now I'm rating this T, but it will change to M later on - however, I will give warning when that happens.

Chapter 1: Ejector Buttons and Evening Gowns.

“Yikes!”

“What?”

“Oliver, you have GOT to stop sneaking up on me like that! Would you PLEASE give me some sort of sign when you have come…I mean, when you have come in the back door…I mean…”

Feeling her face turn heated and no doubt bright red as she stumbled through an unfortunate, yet again, use of unintentional sexual innuendos.

Felicity turned around to face Oliver and as usual saw him standing there, all ginormous aspects of his physical being, looking completely composed other than a slight upturn of his lips in the corners of his mouth. Turning back quickly to her computer screen she failed to notice the brightness in his eyes as tried to contain his, always barely suppressed, laughter when he was in the presence of Felicity Smoak.

Clearing his throat instead he asked, “What have you learned about Nick Night?” Which was what the papers had dubbed him since he wore all black making him easier to fade into the night on the rare times he’d been seen. Clearly there was a need for better copy editors in Starling City’s press.

“Well for starters I’ve learned he doesn’t seem to have any detectable cyber presence. I’ve searched every state, federal, and international database, including…somewhat to my shame, the FBI, CIA, NSA…”

“Okay, so – what now?”

“Well, normally this is when I would run a facial recognition program but…”

“We don’t have a face.”

“Exactly…instead, my next step is to set an algorithm to search the dark web. He seems to be well supplied and he’s got to have some means of getting his materials.”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see where he pops up next.”

“Yes, and you’re so good at waiting.”

Oliver looked at Felicity, raising one eyebrow.

She stops and thinks about what she has just said, 

“Oh, I mean….”

Felicity wonders that moment if there is another layer to the Arrow Lair and that she is conveniently standing over the secret hatch and that it will somehow open and she can fall into said hold.

First her mouth blurts out REALLY embarrassing unsolicited sex talk and then she insults Oliver. Really, WHERE IS THAT SECRET EJECTOR BUTTON.

She pauses her always vivid inner monologue and realizes that several moments of silence have passed and that Oliver is standing there looking at her with a charmingly quizzical expression.

“Never mind, it’s okay Felicity.” Oliver says, “About the Queen Foundation Benefit tonight, were you able to compile some notes for me on the donors who will be attending?”

“Yes, of course, I’ve sent the file to your corporate email.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, I hope it goes well this evening. There are so many families who are in need in so many ways in The Glades. I guess I’ll see you at the office in the morning.”

Oliver looking perplexed says, “No you won’t.”

“You won’t be in the office in the morning.”

“No... that’s not… yes of course I’ll see you in the office, but…you’ll also be seeing me in a few hours.”

“What do you mean you’ll see me?” Felicity stops breathing for a moment as she tried to puzzle through what Oliver means, that he’ll see me…as in…

“At the event. Didn’t I mention this?”

“No, you didn’t. I assumed you were going by yourself, or had a date.”

“Oh, um…well, I meant to mention it.” He said, as this was some sort of apology. It wasn’t.

“Felicity, you know I don’t like homework…I need you to help me navigate the various tech CEO’s who are attending since you speak their language, plus I didn’t want the hassle of trying to find another date, especially when I’ll likely end up unavoidably ignoring her all evening.”

Felicity sat there glaring at him, though…she was also trying process through the word “date,” which was really not helpful. 

“Oliver, unlike the crowd you hang with, I don’t actually have evening gowns hanging in reserve in my closet.”

“Oh…well.” He reached into his wallet, pulling out his credit card. This really didn’t bother her, she knew his money meant very little to him, other than as a means to achieve his goals, and sometimes those means involved providing things to Felicity, or John, they couldn’t necessarily afford, which they didn’t mind as long as it was for the Team and the Arrow’s objectives. No, the problem was something else entirely, and involved his sometimes cluelessness about how the world worked. He had complete, far more than her, understanding of the dark side of life and society, and what it meant to suffer truly and abjectly. No, his lack of knowledge came from the fact that literally every material need he’d ever had, not involving the island, could be produced at a moment’s notice with little more than a phone call, or the invoking of the name Queen.

“Oliver, there is no way I can go and find a suitable dress at this hour of the night, to be ready in,” she looked at the clock, “two hours.”

Oliver looked bewildered, put his wallet back in his pocket, and with a hand to the back of his neck, said, “Um well…”

Felicity let out a deep sigh and said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.”

“I’m really sorry I forgot to mention this.”

“I know you are.” 

Trying to set aside her mild irritation at clueless billionaires, her next thought was – WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO WEAR. She was a girl who loved clothes, and love pretty and cute clothes, but as the opportunity to wear one rarely, um NEVER, came along – she really didn’t have anything suitable for an evening made up of people who weren’t just the one percenters, they were the one percent of the one percenters.

Realizing Oliver was continuing to stare at her, she pulled herself together and said, “I’m happy to help.”

“Good, then I’ll see you there?”

“See you there.”

Oliver turned crisply around, pulling his phone out to look at it as he walked away…and Felicity watched him run up the stairs two at a time, so lightly there wasn’t even one scrape of shoe on the metal treads. Felicity sat back down and turned to her computer.

Setting aside the nervous anticipation that seemed to be taking root in her stomach, since dwelling on the reason for this nervousness would get her nowhere and undeniably increase the nervousness, Felicity turned her brain back toward the problem of Nick Night.

Which she preferred doing since she couldn’t even think about that her stomach was clenching with anxiety at both the idea of dressing up and appearing at a high society function, when that was definitely not the world she was used to inhabiting, on top of the fact that she would be spending the whole night next to…FELICTY, STOP BABBLING IN YOUR HEAD!

Instead, she delved into the world in which she was unabashedly comfortable, and which she had limitless self-confidence, she considered the challenge before her, which was the fact that Mr. Night had worn a mask that almost completely obscured his face.

There was also something else that was niggling at the edges of her brain, which was the crimes he had committed didn’t exactly fit the profile of those Team Arrow (as she always called them in her head) usually pursued…so she was having to think about this in a slightly different way.

Night had stolen the prototype of a very technical cutting-edge reverse osmosis device from the Applied Sciences division of a billion-dollar corporation. It was an item that could potentially generate millions of dollars in profit for this corporation. But the reason that it had attracted the attention of The Arrow was that the billion-dollar corporation in question was Queen Consolidated. At its most basic level it operated in the same way as those people could purchase for their homes to filter out bad water…but which could be expensive for many households. The difference was this device was designed to operate at the city-wide level to solve the problem of bad water for families in the Glades. This was the more important reason The Arrow was involved, not the profitability, but rather the potential it had to help save countless numbers of people’s lives. The problem however, and also why TA was involved, was that the reason it wasn’t yet in operation was that there was a tiny bit of tech in it that in the wrong hands, could be used to very bad effect.

Felicity had one more trick up her sleeve, it was an algorithm she had developed at MIT, that could operate outside the normal parameters of the internet and insert itself into the dark web where, ironically, there could often be even tighter security than that found protecting the biggest and most important top-secret organizations on the web.

She had been working on tweaking it to serve their current needs and…bingo, it was done. She set it to run, and after doing so glanced down at her phone.

“CRAP!”

Felicity had about 45 minutes to get home, shower, find a dress (FIND A DRESS – HOW ON EARTH WAS SHE GOING TO DO THAT!?!) and get to the venue that was holding the event. She grabbed her coat and purse and dashed up the stairs, trying not to trip in her rush to get on her way.


	2. In Which Tape Is used

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI...hope you like second chapter, laying foundations for what's to come. This one is much longer. 
> 
> Thanks to those who have already commented. I really appreciate the support.

CHAPTER 2, In Which Tape Is Used.

Felicity parked her mini Cooper in the parking deck below the hotel. The dress was a little big, since even in heels Felicity barely scraped the height of 5’7”, she’d borrowed it from her neighbor who liked to compete in pageants. The neighbor had helped her do a bit of inventive pinning and tucking, as well as some surprisingly painful taping of various parts that she had decided really were never intended to be taped and the fact that she wasn’t wearing any underwear (apparently there were “line” issues to be aware of in wearing a dress like this), so she had actual physical discomfort on top of her already existing anticipatory anxiety which tended only to increase her mental babbling, both internally and externally and she was quite certain that would not be helpful to…BANG.

“Felicity!”

She looked up to see the sight that should come with a warning label, Oliver Queen, all 6’1, 190 pounds, shoulders like a linebacker, face that belonged on magazine covers, CEO, hero to a city, in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo.

“Oh Oliver, sorry, I didn’t see you there, I was trying to figure out who was calling but oh they hung up, have you been calling me? Of course, you haven’t been calling me you’re standing right there…”

“Felicity. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry I’m late, tracking down an evening gown and then getting myself taped into said evening gown was fairly time consuming and nearly impossible to accomplish in 45 minutes.”

Oliver, with a confused expression on his face, asks, “Taped???” 

He stopped and looked at her and she assumed he was trying to figure out what one would need to tape down to wear a dress…but then his expression changed, and his face did that thing where it shut down and lost all expression but she saw his eyes had turned very dark as he stepped back half a step and stared at her. 

He then seemed almost to shake his head, and then said, “Anyway, great you’re here…okay, tell me who I’m looking at and what I need to know about them.”

“Oliver, did you not look through the notes at all?”

He grinned in a way that came the closest he ever came to looking boyish (which as Oliver was an adult, with a capital A, both in terms of who he was and the responsibilities he carried) wasn’t too close…

“I told you I’ve never been great at finishing homework.” Oliver said this with a wink…causing Felicity’s heart to stop and her lungs to seize and to experience a momentary loss of time and actual blacking out…

“Fe-li-ci-ty…”

“What?”

“You sort of blanked there for a minute, are you okay?”

“Hmm. Um – yes, sure…of course – why wouldn’t I be okay, there’s no reason I wouldn’t be okay…just because the world blinked out for a minute all because a facial muscle twitched…” she muttered the last bit under breath. Oliver’s brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what she had said…

“Okay, now – tell me who that is.”

“Okay…if you look to your right, you’ve got Justine Baker, who is CEO of NuGene, a genetics research lab that has contributed to the development of immunotherapy treatments for cancer…To your left is Richard Hill; his company has been working with the defense department to develop better functioning Kevlar for Police and the military. But, straight in front of you…and looking like he’s coming right for you, is Jeremy Nacht, and while his company has done some cutting edge research into biometric security, much of what is done is Top Secret for the government and as such there’s not a lot known about it.”

Felicity softly murmured the last bit of that as a tall, black haired man, more slenderly built than Oliver, but still very fit, walked up.

“Mr. Queen.”

“Mr. Nacht. Thank you for coming this evening.”

“Of course, thank you for putting all of this together. It’s a very worthy cause.”

“Oh, the hard work was done by my mother…and my very capable assistant, I’m just the face they use to get the dough.” Oliver, said in a rare public statement of self-deprecation, as he turned slightly toward Felicity, who bobbed her head self-consciously, wondering why he was being so self-effacing. It was common for Oliver to think less of himself in private, or at least…to her and John, but not usually so in public, wherein as the face of QC, it was important he exude an inscrutable air of confidence.

“Still, we’re happy to participate.”

“I appreciate it. With the funds raised tonight, we should be able to update Starling City’s public school’s entire computer network, and provide each student with their own smart pad, something that is out of reach for many of the children who inhabit the Glades.”

Shifting gears slightly, Nacht replied, “Excellent. You seem to be doing quite a capable job at Queen Consolidated, particularly given your background.”

Nacht says this looking pointedly at Oliver, clearly intending this to be a thinly veiled dig at Oliver’s well known, and extensive, lack of experience in anything besides getting into trouble, prior to his time on the island.

“Thanks. Being lost at sea for five years tends to change a man.”

“Yes, I would imagine so.” 

Felicity continues to be confused at Oliver’s subtle hostility, given that his public face is usually represents an inscrutable and unassailable wall of privacy. Even though he appeared to have the same relaxed and confident look he always wore in public, and quite a lot in private, she could see his facial muscles tighten just a bit. It was only because she had spent literally hours upon hours staring at his face and so was intimately familiar with every nuance of expression, that she could see the difference.

“I owe a great deal to my executive assistant, I would literally have no idea where I was or what I needed to do at any time of the day…or night, without her…Have you met Miss Smoak?”

Oliver turned to Felicity and she could see in his eyes a moment of vulnerability, rarely seen, and she knew because of that, she would do anything she could to help him.

“No, I haven’t, I would remember meeting such a lovely, and clearly capable, individual.”

“Mr. Nacht, meet Felicity Smoak.”

“Ms. Smoak.” Nacht said.

“Mr. Nacht, I’m pleased to meet you. Thank you for coming this evening. I have been interested in speaking with you about your newest retinal scanner. I understand it has a 99 percent accuracy rate. That’s higher than any currently in development.”

Nacht raised his eyebrows, clearly taken aback at such a knowledgeable question from someone who was referred to as “executive assistant.”

Oliver stood watching proudly as the awkward, rambling, always funny, geeky IT girl turned into the brilliant, accomplished, and poised professional he knew existed, but that Felicity didn’t always have the confidence to let out. Felicity thought he had only promoted her to be his EA because it would smooth the way for him to live his dual life. He had, but that was not the only reason, and maybe not even the most important. He had promoted her because she was literally, the only person he trusted at QC, trusted with his secrets, but also – trusted to see him through, without scorn, his rough transition from “apparently” bad boy trust fund son, to the head and face of one of the largest corporations in the world. He also had promoted her because she had too much potential to be hiding in a cubby, as a helpline guide for QC. 

Plus…well, he wanted her there. Next to him. Always available. Always where he could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe. The reasons he needed to do so were not something he could think about…at least for now.

“…yes, we were able to get the resonator field down to .0002 degrees of conformation.”

Felicity was nodding at him, about to ask another question when she caught Oliver’s eye. He was ready to move on.

“Mr. Nacht.”

“Please call me Jeremy.”

“Then I’m Oliver. We won’t keep you any longer…thank you again for your contributions to the Starling City’s Education Technology Assistance program.”

“You are more than welcome. I hope you have a pleasant and successful evening.” Instead of stepping back, Nacht turned then to Felicity and said, “Ms. Smoak, I enjoyed speaking with you. Perhaps we can continue our conversation another time…perhaps some evening over drinks?”

Felicity blushed and stammered, “Um sure, I like to drink…I mean, it would be nice to drink…I mean…yes, it would be nice to chat again.”

“Wonderful. We’ll speak again.” And with that, Nacht moved away.

Felicity stood there a minute trying to figure out what had just happened. She understood the part about the retinal scanners, and that was certainly an interesting idea he had…could their new tech somehow interact with…Wait…did Jeremy Nacht just ask her out on a date?

She looked up at Oliver who was standing there with a strange expression on his face…She’d learned a lot of his facial expressions, and what they meant…but this one was new.

His lips were sort of pressed together, his brow was furrowed, and his eyes had gotten really dark...and he seemed to be staring into the distance, with an Arrow-y type look??? While watching Jeremey walk away, all the time clenching his fists.

“Oliver…ohhh Oliver, are you all right?"

He didn’t answer and instead stood there muttering under his breath.

“Oliver!”

“What?! Oh, sorry. What did you ask?”

“I asked if you were okay.”

“Oh yes, I’m fine…do you think he’s taller than me?”

“Who?”

“Nacht.”

“Um, I don’t know. I think you may bit taller? Why are you asking?”

“Oh…no reason.”

“Okay, well…it’s time for you to say a few words.”

“Ah yes.”

Oliver strode confidently to the dais at the front of the room where the band was playing soft jazz…and he glanced around, and they wound down and then stopped. The voices in the room dropped to a slow murmur, then to silence as he began to speak.

“Good evening. In case there was any confusion…and if you haven’t read a newspaper in the last decade, I’m Oliver Queen. I want to thank you all for attending this evening and for supporting this incredibly worthy cause. This is only the beginning of the work that needs to be done….” He went on to talk more about the project, and to thank the named sponsors of the event…and as he did so, Felicity’s mind began to drift and sort through a number of different topics, including the unexpected invitation for drinks made by Jeremy Nacht…and also, the very strange reaction from Oliver after he had done so.

“Ms. Smoak.” She jumped at the soft voice in her ear.

“Oh, Mr. Nacht. You snuck up on me.”

“Jeremy. And I’m sorry, my mother used to yell at me if I made too much noise and woke up my baby sister when she was napping, so I’ve learned to be quite silent when I move.”

Felicity smiled at this, “That’s okay. How can I help you? And it’s Felicity.”

“I just wanted to confirm our date.”

“Our date?”

“Yes, for drinks…Are you free tomorrow evening?”

“I believe so”

“So, should we meet at Renee’s? At 7?”

“Yes, that sounds okay…I mean, yes, that would be nice.”

“Good, here’s my card, should anything come up and you can’t make it.”

“Thank you.” Felicity reached out to take the card and as she did, she heard a pause in Oliver’s speech. She glanced up and saw him staring in her direction. He turned back to the rest of the room and apologized for losing his train of thought, made a joke, and quickly concluded.

Oliver bounded lightly down the steps and strode over to her.

“Ms. Smoak, I need your assistance please.”

She startled at his tone, which was a bit sharper than the soft voice he usually used with her.

“Of course Mr. Queen…. I’ll see you tomorrow Jeremy?”

“See you then.”

Oliver grabbed her by the elbow and with a curt nod to Nacht, pulled her along with him.

“What do…”

“What did he…”

They both spoke at the same time. Paused.

Felicity gestured to him.

“What did Nacht want?”

“We were discussing meeting up tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? But I thought you’d be here, I mean…you know…, Diggle and I need to try to scope out some of the other tech corps to see if our guy hits one of them.”

“Oh well, of course…I can reschedule.”

“No, no we’ll be fine, we can manage while you go out on your date!” Oliver said this last a bit loudly…garnering the attention of a few nearby society matrons.

Concerned about negative attention, Felicity took Oliver’s arm, trying not to think about the size and firmness of his bicep, GAH, and pulled him away from the center of the room. “Oliver, what is the matter?”

“Nothing, Look…” He stopped talking, then looked away, took a deep breath, and looked back down to her, the bitterness gone from his face, with the soft eyes that she’d only ever seen directed at her, for reasons unknown. “Really, it’s fine…you can go on. In fact, you can head out now if you want. You did a good job. I really appreciate your help.” He gave her a small smile, more restrained than the one he usually gave her…but better than how he’d looked at her just a moment ago.

“Are you sure? I assumed we’d need to go to…” She said this with a raising of her eyebrows.

“Nah, things seem quiet. John and I may check a few things, but nothing serious. I’ll see you tomorrow at the office.”

“Okay then, Night Oliver.”

“Good night Felicity.”

With a smile and a quick pivot, she headed for the door…

Diggle was posted by the door of the ballroom, playing his “role” of bodyguard to Oliver Queen, CEO. An always humorous position for him as said CEO could beat down 3 bad guys before John could get off his first punch. As Oliver approached, he moved to his right, just a step behind him, standard “Body Man” protocol when in a low threat situation, where being an inconspicuous security measure was a priority. Oliver though, never maintained this formation and always slowed so he and John were side by side…just one of those small insights into Oliver’s character, and why John had such immense respect for him.

“Are you okay man?”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure didn’t look fine.”

Oliver halted abruptly and turned to John, “What are you talking about?”

“When that Nacht guy was giving Felicity his business card you looked very, “not fine.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Oliver, you stopped talking for at least 30 seconds and just stared at them.”

“No I didn’t.” Oliver says this sheepishly, a light pink creeping up his neck.

“Yes, Oliver…you did.”

Diggle stood there in his usual imposing manner that only someone as big as he was (and as Oliver was) could stand, arms crossed staring thoughtfully at Oliver with one eyebrow raised.

“Felicity sure looked good tonight. Nice to see her get to get dressed up and enjoy herself for a change.” John said.

“Apparently the dress involved tape?” As he said this last, Oliver’s voice squeaked strangely, and a light sweat broke out on his forehead.

“Tape?” Diggle said looking just as confused as Oliver had.

“Yeah, I think she borrowed it from someone bigger than her and I guess she’s so tiny they had to use…tape (again that odd squeak) to get it to fit.”

He and Diggle stood there a minute with furrowed brows, two large and extremely handsome individuals, perplexed by the mysteries of women’s fashion. 

After a moment of this contemplation Oliver said, “Well, whatever. C’mon, we going to head out or what?”

John began to answer him when Oliver felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Ollie, can you give me a ride home? I had a date, but I seem to have lost him somewhere along the way.”

“You lost him? How does one lose a date Speedy?” Speedy was the nick name of Oliver’s beloved baby sister Thea.

“I dunno Ollie…” Thea said this in an unusually subdued voice, looking away to stare out the large window next to which they stood. 

Hmmm…something is going on with her, Oliver thought, I better look into that. But he couldn’t do that right now, “I’m sorry, I can’t, John and I have to er…”

“Mr. Queen, didn’t you say you had to go by Queen Consolidated for that conference call with some investors in Tokyo?” John looked blandly at him.

“Yes, thank you for reminding me. Thea, can’t mom take you?”

“No, she was tired and headed out right after your speech.” Since the events of the Undertaking, Moira had kept a lower social profile, and so didn’t tend to linger longer than was required to support her family and Queen Consolidated.

“Oh, okay. I’ll get you a cab to take you home.”

“Forget it Ollie, I’ll figure it out.” Thea spun on her heel and stalked off in a huff as only a 19-year-old girl can.

“Thea!”

Oliver stood there and watched Thea slam through the doors of the ballroom.

“Oliver, we’ll check on her…make sure she gets home.”

Oliver nodded, feeling helpless that Thea seemed to be in pain, and he wasn’t sure why. He just continues to fail everyone who is important to him, he can’t seem to stop.

“But for now, we need to get going…”

Oliver nodded and turned around decisively. They headed out the opposite door from Thea, trying to make as inconspicuous an exit as possible for a CEO who had hosted this event. They went out the back to avoid any photographers who might be lurking. Focused on the task ahead, they moved out into the darkness.


	3. Is This a Job Interview?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I've got the third chapter ready so am posting it...but - posting will slow down a bit after that, holiday is over and I've got a new work project I've got to dive into. But as I said in the beginning, the whole thing is written so it all will come.
> 
> Thank you so much for all your kind comments and kudos. 
> 
> IMPORTANT POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING:
> 
> There is a very brief, about 30 seconds, of violence here and an even briefer reference to a threat of rape, like 10 seconds. I'll say more at the end but hopefully you'll all understand.
> 
> Please see end for additional note.
> 
> Thanks and hope you like this!

Chapter Three - Is This a Job Interview?

Felicity stepped into the executive elevator and pushed the topmost button. She held her cup of coffee from the coffee place on the corner, where she normally stopped on her way to QC, and where if she was feeling generous – she would get Oliver’s cup of black coffee. She tried to focus on the day ahead, the many meetings scheduled that she would attend with Oliver, as his EA, including one with the head of the Applied Sciences division to talk about what exactly had been stolen two nights ago.

Normally she had zero problem considering what challenges the day might bring, what she would need to do to assist Oliver, what new programs she was thinking up, as well as what might be required from her for TA.

Strangely though, none of those things were what was occupying her considerable brain power. Instead she was trying to puzzle out why Jeremy Nacht had asked her out, what it might mean, a brief consideration of what she might wear and then…but here her thoughts were going somewhere she didn’t necessarily want them to go and that was what a certain CEO might think about her going to have drinks with Another CEO…huh, not sure she ever imagined a time in her life where she’d have a sentence in her head containing the word CEO…twice…in relation to her personally…

“Felicity.”

She looked up from the floor and saw that the elevator doors had opened…she then looked up a bit further to see Oliver standing there with a bemused expression on his face.

“Oh Oliver…Hi…Oh, we’re here…um…”

“Do you want to step off the elevator?”

“Oh yes, of course…,” she stepped off, stopped, and looked back up at him. “Why were you standing there?”

Oliver’s face started to get a bit pink as he began to answer, but then Felicity interrupted, “Never mind, what do you need before the 10:30 conference?” They turned and walked together to the suite of offices that made up the domain of the CEO. Her office was first, with a glass wall that looked into Oliver’s, that then had another door that led directly into the Conference room.

They went over the day’s schedule and as Felicity walked through the door back to her office, she stopped…and turned back to Oliver.

“Did anything new come up from your meeting last night?”

Oliver looked quizzically at her then nodded and said, “Oh yes, my late-night call with the Tokyo investor…. No, they couldn’t provide anything helpful. I think we’re stuck with current projections.” This was of course code for Arrow business, since they both knew he hadn’t actually had a call with the Tokyo investors.

“Too bad.”

“I wondered when you were going to ask.”

“Hmm…?”

“Usually that’s the first thing you ask?”

“Oh. Sorry, I’ve just been pre-occupied.”

“Anything I can help with?” 

“No…Not…no, I’ve got to figure this out on my own. I’ll let you know if I need help.”

“Because I will.”

“Will what?”

“I will always help you….no matter what.”

Felicity looked up to find Oliver staring at her intently, but with soft eyes, as he sometimes did with her.

She gave him a small smile back. “Oh. Thanks…Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.”

\-----------------------------

“So, is that it?”

Oliver answered without looking up from the papers he’s signing on his desk. “Is what it?”

“I’m thinking we’ve got a good handle on the item stolen from the ASD, and the security upgrades, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Oliver gathered the papers and looked up at Felicity standing next to his desk.

“You tell me, am I done, or do you have me scheduled to meet with another ten division heads?” 

He was smiling when he said this so Felicity knew he was teasing her.

“Felicity you tell me where I am supposed to be at every moment of the day, for which I am immensely grateful, so why suddenly are you asking me about the schedule?”

Felicity stood there looking at him, fidgeting in a non-Felicity way, and Oliver saw that her cheeks were pinking, and she was uncharacteristically quiet. 

Then he remembered.

“It’s just, I want to make sure there isn’t anything you need, I mean, I never like to leave you hanging…. or well, I never take two nights in a row from our evening activities…”

She rambled to a stop.

Oliver realized Felicity was incredibly uncomfortable standing there…which was something he never wanted her to feel – ever…no matter the reason.

“Felicity,” he started, in the soft tone he reserved only for her, “It’s fine. Go. Have fun.”

“Are you sure? I mean I can cancel, it’s no problem, no problem at all.”

“Really. Have a good evening. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks Oliver. Have a good night.”

With a bright smile, Felicity turned quickly and stopping by her desk just to drop off the papers Oliver had just signed, and to get her bag and coat. She turned and gave one last little wave to him as she went through the door.

As Felicity left his sight, the smile he’d kept on his face disappeared, and he sagged into his chair. He did not want to dwell on why this was, but he suddenly felt like somebody had turned off the light.

“You ready to head out?”

Diggle was leaning against the doorframe, with his arms crossed in a seemingly casual manner.

“Hmmm?”

“Are you ready to go? I need to go by and see Lyla before we go elsewhere.”

“Right.”

“Oliver…why didn’t you say something?”

“About what?”

“Felicity.”

“There’s nothing to say.”

“Yes, there is, you just have to decide to say it.”

Oliver stood up and went to put his coat on…clearly not about to respond to Diggle.

John sighed and turned to follow him as befitted the “Bodyguard” and “Driver” role.

\----------------------------------

A few minutes late, Felicity stepped into the elegant bar on the top floor of the Starling City Grand Hotel. Soft lights and dark corners created an ambience that suggested romance and intrigue…and Felicity still wasn’t completely sure for which one of those she was here.

She looked around and saw Jeremy sitting toward the back in a small booth next to a window looking at the usual drizzle and rain that was to be expected in Starling. The glow of the lowered lights reflected against the glass making the rain drops sparkle in a deceptively inviting way.

Felicity walked over to Jeremy through the velvety darkness and as she did, she thought it was like someone had come in and staged the room to be a perfect invitation for a romantic rendezvous.

If only it didn’t feel so wrong.

Jeremy stood up as she approached, in a perfectly gentlemanly manner.

“Good evening Felicity.”

“Hi.”

“You look lovely” Jeremy said smiling.

Felicity wore a royal blue dress that skimmed her knees in a swirl, and softly hugged her figure…she hadn’t had a reason to wear it in a while…since the last date she’d had, which was…wait…how long ago was that? Was it actually a whole year? Surely not…but, yes…it was before she had started working with Team Arrow, so yes over a year ago….

She paused mid mental ramble and realized several moments had passed and Jeremy was standing there looking perplexedly at her.

“Sorry…. lost in my head, do you ever do that...just get...lost in your head, no of course not…I’m sure you never get lost…” She realized she was now babbling out loud, and not everyone might find it charming in the way Oliver always seemed to do.

“I’m sorry…thank you…you don’t know me very well, you don’t really know me at all but…I sometimes have these rambling conversations in my head, and I sort of lose track of time or what I’m doing or where I am and OH WOW, I also ramble out loud, I’ve tried to stop doing it but never had much success of course, Oliver says…”

And then she stops, thinking why is she bringing up Oliver in the first minute and a half of her…date? meeting? whatever this was, with Jeremy, it certainly wasn’t appropriate to do that.

Jeremy still stood there, staring at her, but not with the sweetly bemused expression Oliver wore when this happened…more in a “Why did I ask this insane woman out this evening” way. 

“Sorry.” Felicity says again.

“Not at all. Please.” Jeremy gestured to the booth.

“Yes.”

Felicity sat and a waiter approached the table and took her order for a gin and tonic. They made small talk until the waiter brought it, chatting about the bar, and the view. 

“So, Felicity, how was your day? You’re Mr. Queen’s Executive Assistant correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. It was fine…busy.”

“Do you enjoy working for Oliver Queen? At Queen Consolidated?”

“Yes, very much…wait…is this a job interview?”

“What? No, it’s not a job interview…it’s, well, It’s a date.”

“Oh, I wasn’t sure. It was just so sudden, and I couldn’t figure out why a CEO would want to ask out someone’s EA.”

“Um, because said EA is an extremely beautiful, incredibly intelligent, capable and confident woman?”

“Oh.”

“Yes, Oh.”

Felicity sat there a moment pondering that while staring into her glass of melting ice…And once again…It felt wrong.

And she wasn’t exactly sure why but she just knew it felt wrong to be sitting here in this romantic place with this handsome and successful man who wasn’t…

“I’m sorry. I have to go. I just remembered Oliver, I mean Mr. Queen, needed me to get him some information before a conference call he has with some investors tonight.”

“You’re leaving now?” Jeremy asked incredulously.

“Yes, I’m so sorry, and this has been lovely and maybe we can do this again, but I really do have to go…right now.”

She stood up abruptly, nearly spilling her drink…Jeremy stood up as well and said, “Can I at least walk you to your car? It’s late and It might not be safe.”

“No…I’m…no thank you. I’m safe. I mean, it’s safe…I’ll be alright.”

Felicity stopped in her rambling and looked up at Jeremy, “Really.” She put a hand on his arm. “I’ll be fine. Thank you again. Good night.”

“Good night Felicity.” Jeremy responded, and watched her with a completely confused expression, as she hurried out of the bar.

\------------------------------------------------

Felicity listened to her heels tap loudly on the concrete of the parking garage as she searched through her purse looking for her keys, all the while thinking about why it was, she had acted like such an idiot just now. Here she had a tall, gorgeous, nice, CEO, billionaire, who had asked her out, and she walked out on him…just because he was the WRONG tall, gorgeous, sometimes nice (well always nice to her, just not to other people, LOTS of other people) CEO, who was also a billionaire. But the RIGHT CEO was not someone who was ever going to ask her out for drinks, no matter how much she pretended she didn’t want him to ask.

Oliver was her boss. That was it, well of course, he was also The Arrow, who spent every waking hour trying to save the people of this city at great personal risk, who also dated beautiful models and actresses and wait…Did Oliver still date models and actresses, I mean – he used to, before the island but…

Yeah – like that made a difference. Just because the pool of beautiful women may be a bit thin on the ground meant OF COURSE he was going to turn to his short, geeky, glasses wearing Girl Wednesday…Then why was she…

BANG! 

Suddenly Felicity was grabbed, and her head slammed into the side of her car.

“Hold still or I’ll cut your throat.”

Great, and just to top off the evening in spectacular fashion, she was going to be robbed, or raped, or murdered.

“Here, take my car…take my purse.”

“I don’t’ want your car blondie.”

Crap – Rape or murder it was going to be then.

“You don’t want to do this, really…this is a really bad decision, you are going to…”

Whoosh – and then the guy was gone, his dirty hand removed from the side of her head.

She whirled around to see Oliver, or rather – the Arrow, standing with his foot on the guy’s chest and an arrow pointed at his heart.

“What are you doing here?!?” Felicity screamed.

“Saving you, apparently.” He said, his voice altered with the vocal synthesizer. 

“I mean, what are you doing here…at this moment…Wait…did you follow me?”

“Do you think we could talk about this later?”

“NO, we’ll talk about this now. Did. You. Follow. Me.?”

“You need to be more aware of your surroundings.”

“Yes, John’s been working with me on that…hey – don’t change the subject.”

“Um…” a strangled sounding voice arose from the ground. “You know, if you two need to talk, I could just take off.”

“Shut UP.” – Two voices said in unison.

“Did you follow me?” Felicity persisted.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Felicity, can we please table this discussion until later?”

“Fine. But we WILL be discussing this. What are you going to do with him?”

In answer, Oliver pulled back his bow.

“Hey! We talked about this.”

“This is different.”

“How is this different.”

“BECAUSE IT’S YOU.” Oliver screamed in full Arrow voice.

“I know…” Felicity said softly, “But it doesn’t matter…we’re doing this differently now right?”

“But…”

“No.”

Oliver stood there a minute and then his shoulders slumped just a bit and he said, “Fine. I’ll take him to Lance.”

“Okay.”

“Will you be all right?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“And we’ll talk.”

“Yes, we’ll talk.”

Felicity got in her car, backed out and with one more glance and a small wave, drove away.

Oliver stood there watching the taillights of her car until they were out of sight.

He turned to the scum on the ground.

In Full Arrow voice he yelled, “YOU WILL NEVER SPEAK OF THIS CONVERSATION.”

“NO…” cough, cough…Oliver had pressed down on his throat.

“ARE WE CLEAR?”

“Yes, yes…we’re clear.”

Oliver turned once again toward the direction the car had gone in and…just stood there watching.

\---------------------------------------

“Frack!” Felicity exclaimed as she dropped her keys on the ground as she was trying to open her door…as she leaned over to get them, her phone buzzed. “Hang on!” She screamed at her phone, as if it could hear her. It stopped buzzing, then immediately started buzzing again as she finally got the key in the door. 

“What?”

“Felicity, Are you okay?” A frantic voice asked.

“Oliver, I’m fine…. are you okay? You sound funny.”

“No, no…I’m fine, I just…”

“Were you checking to make sure I got home?”

“No…um...no, I wasn’t sure what time the meeting with the group from New York was tomorrow.”

“It’s on your calendar, I updated it before I left today.”

“Oh, yes…right.”

“Is that all you wanted/”

“Yes.”

“Okay, See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.”

“OH, and Oliver…thank you.”

“Thank- you Felicity.”

She leaned back on her front door…and uncharacteristically her brain was quiet. Or, rather instead of the usual multiple tracks of things going through her brain at any one time, there was only one…What on earth was going on with one Mr. Oliver Jonas Queen (yes, she knew his middle name – duh) CEO, hero extraordinaire?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. First, I want to make clear, I absolutely DO NOT think Rape is at all funny....this is a huge thing for me, so much so that much of my work deals with this issue. But, I just felt like this was what, and how, would be going through Felicity's brain. I hope I haven't offended.
> 
> Second, I don't know if the exchange at the end between "Arrow" Oliver and Felicity is a bit OOC, but I wanted to establish how much influence she has over him, more so than either of them even realize, or are ready to admit, at this point.
> 
> Anyway - thanks for reading.


	4. I Didn't Sign Up for Zombies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, next installment...thank you all for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it. 
> 
> The Arrow, Zombies?, and John doing is very best John Diggle work. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Four– I Didn’t Sign Up for Zombies

Felicity walked carefully down the stairs into the lair…getting to it was easier now that the club was temporarily on hiatus. Since Oliver had taken over as CEO of QC, and since Tommy had died it sat quiet and empty. Felicity felt her heart wrench at that, even though she hadn’t known Tommy very well…she always felt sad for Oliver when she thought of his death. She knew that Thea Queen had made noises about taking it over, but both Oliver, and his mother, were trying to convince her to go to college instead. But that wasn’t any of her business, that was Queen family business, and she was definitely not a Queen…Did she want to be? Well, in what alternate dimension of what universe would she even have the opportunity to be a Queen?

Knowing that was not a productive mental road to go down, her internal musings took a different direction. Oliver had successfully managed to avoid any situation during the workday that could have given them an opportunity to talk alone, which was a pretty neat trick since she was his EA whose job was basically to stay within five feet of where he was at any moment. Arrow type ninja skills had been deployed a couple of times; did he think she hadn’t noticed? Well fine. She could play the avoidance game as well as anyone…though, that really wasn’t a comfortable game for her to play…Felicity knew enough about how damaging a lack of honesty could be, so she generally preferred approaching things head on…but, for some reason…she felt a little shy taking this tack with this issue, she wasn’t sure how to bring up the topic… ‘so Oliver, why WERE you stalking me last night? And why did you need to make sure I got home, when I’ve been taking myself home for a long time, with no one checking on me,’ yeah – that was definitely NOT a conversation she was going to initiate…

“Felicity!”

“Gah! – I have got to stop doing that,” that being running into Oliver because she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings…maybe she did need to work some more with John. Only this time she hadn’t run into suit wearing CEO, she’d run into shirtless vigilante who’d obviously been in the middle of work out…

“Doing what?”

“Running into your abs…I mean running into you.”

He stood there a minute trying to sort through what she’d said, but then moved on, “Hey, I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk today.”

“Hmm…” Felicity responded as if she didn’t know what he was talking about, as she walked over to her station, and set her coat and purse down. She leaned over to check on the algorithm she’d set to run earlier.

“Hey.” Oliver said in his Felicity voice – wait, when had she started calling it his Felicity voice?

She turned around and he was right behind her, leaning slightly over her…and given the size of him it was a bit like having Hagrid, albeit a way better looking version of Hagrid, leaning over her, causing her to press further into the front of her computer desk. She could feel the heat wafting off of him and tried not to acknowledge…how that was making her feel.

“Hey back.”

“I really did want to talk to today, it just didn’t seem like the best place to do so.”

“Sure, I understand.”

“Felicity…it must be apparent to you that I, er…” Oliver paused, rubbing the back of his neck as if it had suddenly tensed up, as a tinge of red creeped up the side of it, all vestiges of his normally unflappable and cool demeanor gone. 

“…may have a certain need to…protect you.” Oliver finished this last bit in a rush.

“Protect me?”

“Yes, protect you.”

“Okay, well that makes sense, you are the vigilante…you have a need to protect everyone in Starling City, else why would you be doing all this?”

“No…I mean, yes, I do want to protect Starling, um…but this…this is different. Do you understand?”

Felicity was looking down at the floor when he said this, and when she realized he wasn’t saying anything else, she looked up. She started to say no, she didn’t understand…but when she looked into his eyes, those soft eyes she’d only ever seen pointed toward her, with a pleading expression on his face. She knew there was something else going on here, but she didn’t think he was capable of saying it…or saying it right now, or – was that just her projecting onto him what she hoped he wanted to say…but she knew what he needed to hear, as she knew so many things about Oliver that others didn’t.

“Yes, Oliver, I understand. But you have to understand something as well. I have to live my life. And yes, much of my life is this, helping you, helping you be the great CEO that you are capable of being…helping you as The Arrow as well, but there are other parts of my life…and you have to let me live them. You can’t be constantly running to protect me, when you have so many other people who are far more in need of saving, and who are far more important to the survival of this city. Because that’s what we are about, that’s what the mission is about; that is what The Arrow is about.”

Oliver stared at her as she made this speech, and as she spoke his eyes grew ever darker, the expression on his face more serious than she had ever seen it, without his Hood.

“No one and nothing is more important than you. Not anyone.”

Felicity moved even further back toward the front of her desk, feeling its sharp edge pressing into her lower back, as a palpable sense of determination swept over her and Oliver leaned into her, filling up her entire field of vision, until the world was gone, and it was just him and her and his eyes staring into hers as if he could see down into her heart and soul. 

“Um, guys?”

Without removing his gaze from Felicity’s face, Oliver said, “Hey John.”

“Am I interrupting something?”

Felicity slid out from under Oliver to move to her chair.

“No, absolutely not, no…Not.”

“Okayyyy….”

John stood there staring at their two backs, both wrought with tension, back and forth between them…Felicity hurriedly typing at something on her computer, and Oliver with his back to him staring at Felicity, his breathing seeming almost labored.

“Do we want to get started?” 

\-----------------------------------

Beep! Felicity turned to the computer running her algorithm.

“What have you got?” Diggle asked as he walked over to stand next to her.

“Huh…ok, that’s weird…Well, I still have no sign of anyone buying or selling tech or materials to anyone named Nick Night, or anything approaching such a thing, but what I do have is a discussion over why a really weird piece of tech hasn’t shown up yet on the arms market??”

The computer went off again. “Uhuh, okay…the security system has been tripped at NuGene.”

“How are we getting an alert before Emergency Services?” Oliver asked.

“Because I may have hacked into the security systems of all the major tech firms in Starling after the hit at QC?” Felicity stated with a grin and a half tilt of her head toward Oliver’s face.

Oliver looked at her with that close lipped smile and eye sparkle he gave her when he was impressed with something she had done.

“Excellent work.”

Oliver turned to where his hood and bow hung… “Talk me in Felicity, I need to see what’s going on while avoiding First Responders.”

“Will do” she said as she turned back to her computer…hearing Oliver, followed by John, heading out into the night.

\-----------------------------------

“What should I be looking for Felicity?”

“Well, I imagine someone is going to be interested in either a proprietary technique for gene separation, related to what I was telling you about the other night…which could certainly be classified as Industrial espionage, but also something that would fit Nick Night’s M.O., or there is some sort of tech device that is part of their process or something that is in the field of genetic research but not related to the immune therapy, which is their public product, so, I’m thinking it’s something that isn’t public but rather something they are waiting to make public…or…”

“Felicity.”

“Yes?”

“What should I be looking for?”

“Oh, sorry…I would look for anything that has, or had, higher grade security than everything else around it.”

“High security…Oh – Got it, or rather, (and he paused here) and when next he spoke, the Arrow growl was in his voice, “Night got it.”

“Tell me what else is around it, and also find a computer near it…that you can plug my device into, and maybe I can figure out what it was…and you’ve got four minutes Oliver until First Responders arrive.”

“Right…plugging in.”

“Okay, let me see…not that, not that, not…OH Frack.”

“What?”

“That’s bad, that’s really bad.”

“What is it?”

“It’s…Oliver, SCPD is entering the building, you’ve got 30 seconds.”

Diggle broke in, “Oliver, can Felicity explain this later? I’ve got eyes on Lance.”

“Tell me what it is Felicity!”

“Um…it’s well…it’s Zombies.”

“Zombies?”

“Yes, they…Oliver! You’ve got to go!”

“Right.”

Felicity heard a crash and then the sound of wind…signaling Oliver’s departure out a window of the high rise.

\------------------------------------

“Zombies Felicity? Really?” Oliver pounded down the stairs and strode toward her station.

“Ok, maybe not zombies, per se, but it is kinda creepy.”

“Explain.” Oliver didn’t mean to be terse, but he was frustrated at their present inability to get in front of Nick Night.

Felicity whirled around in her chair to face Oliver and John head on while she tried to explain what she meant. “So, NuGene has been doing this cutting-edge research on Gene editing, hence how they were able to develop the immunotherapy treatment. But from what I saw on that drive, they’ve decided to go in a different direction. They’re developing a new process, and I assume new tech, that allows them to splice genes.”

“How does that get us to Zombies?” John asked

“Well for one, gene splicing hasn’t been exactly approved by the International Human Genetics Board, but you could say, okay…. well, there could be some possible humanitarian potential and they’re just waiting to land on an ethical way in which to take two biological genes and merge them together. But that’s not what they are doing. They have data that indicates they are using this device, whatever it is exactly, to splice together animate cells with inanimate cells."

John and Oliver looked blankly at her.

“They’re trying to bring dead things back to life.”

She saw when the light bulb went off above both their heads.

“Oh…” they said simultaneously

“Yes, oh…and as I said, creepy.”

“So…” Oliver stopped…his brow furrowed, “So…what then does Nick Night want with a “zombie making” device.” As Oliver said this…he tried not to snicker.

“That is the highly disturbing question.”

“What’s the connection?” John asked.

They turned to him.

“I mean, so far he’s stolen, several unique items, So, what’s the connection here?”

“Yes, and that may be how we find him. Felicity?” Oliver looked at her expectantly.

“Already on it, I started that program while you were zooming home.”

“Zooming?” Oliver raised his eyebrow at her.

“Zooming.” Felicity replied

“Of course you already started.” Oliver stared at Felicity with that look on his face that showed his pride? She wasn’t quite sure…but it was nice.

“I’m also doing a search for any other cities that have had a sudden rush of high-level tech thefts. I’m hoping some sort of pattern will emerge that will give us some clue as to who Nick Night is.”

“Good. Diggle can you reach out and see if ARGUS knows of any shady…zombie making device?”

“Um, sure, but can we come up with a different way to reference it before I do this?”

They all looked at one another and a small giggle let loose.

Oliver was the first to recover. “Why don’t we just say illegal gene splicer.” He turned to Felicity, “Would that work?”

“That’ll work.” Felicity said with a small smile.

“Okay, I’m heading out. Felicity, I’ll see you in the morning?” She could feel him still standing behind her back…as if waiting for something. Did he need approval she wondered? I mean, she wasn’t his mother…his mother was actually really scary, in a polite sort of way…oh, wait, was this about their earlier conversation…?

She turned around to look at him.

She nodded and said, “okay.”

“Night Digg.”

“Night Oliver.”

Diggle stood leaning against the table next to where Oliver stored his arrows.

“You alright?”

“Sure why?”

“Well…it seemed like things were odd when I came in. Did something happen?”

Felicity sat there a minute tapping a pen against her lip looking thoughtful. She was trying to decide if she wanted to tell John or not. On the one hand, it was somewhat private. But on the other, there was literally no one with whom she could talk about this. Both because it involved Oliver’s secret identity, but more importantly because there was no one else who knew him as well, at least the person he was now…after the island, and who may care about him as much as she did. (Well, she knew his family did, really did…but to some degree they loved the person he’d been, not who he’d become.)

“He followed me.”

“Followed you where?”

“On my date.”

“Your date? Oh…that’s right, you had a date with that Nacht guy last night, didn’t you?”

“Mm-hmmm.”

“So how did Oliver follow you?”

“I’m not sure exactly how, well…I mean – it’s Oliver.” They both looked at each other and nodded like ‘of course he could follow you…nothings impossible for him,’ “…but something happened after I left Jeremy and all of a sudden Oliver was just…there.”

“What happened?”

“Oh, some guy grabbed me in the parking garage and shoved me against my car.”

“Shoved you against your car!! Are you alright?”

“Yes of course, as I said…Oliver was there.”

“Were you looking through your purse again?”

“Well yes…I was but, I was in such a hurry I couldn’t find them and…that’s not the point. I’m trying to tell you about Oliver”

“Okay, but we WILL be returning to this and your dangerous lack of situational awareness.”

“Fine. Whatever…”

“Not whatever, we will be working on this. Now, tell me about Oliver.”

“Okay. So.”

“Hold on – why were you leaving in such a hurry?”

“Why was I…that’s not important.” Felicity felt herself blush.

“If you say so.” John looked bemusedly at her.

Felicity huffed and went on.

“So…this guy had me pushed against my car and creepy dialogue ensued. My head was pressed flat and all of a sudden I heard a whoosh, and then a thump, and I was free.”

“And that was Oliver.”

“That was Oliver…or rather The Arrow.”

“Ahhh. So, what did he say? Oliver…not the bad guy.”

“He just asked me if I was okay, I told him I was, he started to kill the bad guy…”

“I thought he wasn’t doing that anymore.”

“THAT’S what I said.”

“So, what did he say?”

“He said…” and she paused here, clearing her throat a bit.” He said that this was different…because it was me.”

Johns eyes got big and then he smiled, and said softly, “Of course he did.”

“What do you MEAN, of course he did.”

“I mean, that guy has been completely gone on you since the first day he walked into your office with a shot up laptop and a ridiculous lie.”

“No he hasn’t!”

“Yes he has.”

“Huh…well, I’m not sure I believe you…he’s never said anything.”

“Felicity, he doesn’t need to say anything. All you have to do is see one time how he looks at you. He. Is. Gone.”

Felicity sat there a minute, lost in her own thoughts.

“So how did you leave it?”

“I said I had to go, after convincing him not to kill the guy, and that I would see him the next day.” Felicity then smiled softly, “But then…” and she stopped.

“But then what?”

“He called to make sure I’d gotten home. I mean, he said, it was about the schedule but, he never asks me ahead of time, he just shows up and I tell him where to go.”

“Uh huh”

She started to speak, paused, but then said hesitantly. “He was trying to say that he felt protective toward me. See? That’s it John, it’s just protectiveness.”

“Felicity, I imagine he feels protective toward his sister and Mother, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t swoop in and save THEM on any of THEIR dates.”

“Well…”

“No Felicity, this is you. This is all about you.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter because I told him I had to live my life and he couldn’t be following me all of the time.”

“Oh, I’ll bet that went over well.”

Felicity shrugged.

“Is that why he looked so…intense when I came in?”

“Well…” She hesitated, “sort of.”

“What’s sort of?”

“He didn’t like something I said.”

“What did you say?”

“Well, I said,” and here she hesitated, looking unsure. “…I said I understood he felt the need to keep me safe but that he had a need to keep safe a lot of people, to protect an entire city filled with people more in need of protection, and who were more important.” She stopped and looked up at John.

“Well, that explains it. I assume he had something to say to that?”

“He said…he said, ‘No one is more important you. Not ever.”

Diggle silently mouthed. “WOW…. Okay, well then see?

Felicity threw up her hands and yelled, “But see what John? What does it matter? What’s going to happen?”

Felicity stood up angrily and started putting on her coat and snatching up her purse.

“Felicity!”

“I’m tired John, it’s been a really long day.”

“Okay”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” She spoke more softly.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine John.”

“Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I’ve got my car.”

“Okay, then…be careful. Call me if you want.”

“Thank you. Good night.”

Felicity rushed up the stairs trying not to cry until she got through the door.

John sat there a minute shaking his head, and then said to the empty lair, “Oh Oliver…”


	5. Scary Mothers Who Used to Be Villains, or, That Time Moira Queen Scared the Crap out of Felicity Smoak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...next up: Moira, blue dresses, life is hard as a CEO, a wee bit of tension, Oliver/Thea quality time, and a bit more Oliver POV.
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading and for your kind comments.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> p.s. Was I supposed to say at some point I don't own The Arrow? Well, I don't - though wouldn't it be great if we could.

Chapter 5, Scary Mothers Who Used to Be Villains, or, That Time Moira Queen Scared the Crap out of Felicity Smoak.

Felicity stabbed angrily at her keyboard as she responded to emails regarding Oliver’s schedule for today, and made revisions to the monthly strategic plan, while also making notes as to the research and analysis she needed to provide Oliver, as he continued his efforts to strengthen and to grow QC. She could do all of this in her sleep though so the majority of her brain, unfortunately, was able to continue replaying the conversation from last night and perform endless probability extrapolations of what it had all meant.

While she did this, she pointedly did NOT look to her left where the subject of those mental machinations sat reading the five-inch-high pile of reports she had left on his desk to read. She may have done that, or not…, with an eye to keeping him busy until his first meeting at 10 am…she just wasn’t up to chitchat or banter this morning as she was heartily confused and busy herself with trying to tamp down the small flame of hope that had been buzzing around her heart following her conversation with John the previous night.

She knew that while Oliver wasn’t a corporate genius, he was in fact incredibly smart, so those reports were only going to hold him off so long as he made his way through them in pretty short order. Particularly when she knew as he read, he would keep a running list of questions and notes that he would want to ask her and to have explained. Much of being CEO bored him silly, but she also knew how important this company was to him, for the sake of his family’s legacy, but more importantly because of what it meant to the City, and the thousands of jobs it provided all over the world. It was only a matter of time before he…

“Felicity?” Oliver called softly from the doorway. They had an intercom system, but he refused to use it since he regarded her as far more than just his EA, which also went along with why he would only come to her with his questions. There was no one he trusted more than her, and John, and no one whose intelligence he respected more. She knew he felt this way, had no doubt of his complete regard for, and confidence in her abilities…it was just his feelings in other areas that she didn’t understand, or trust.

“Felicity…?” he repeated, “Would you please come in here and go over something with me?”

Felicity looked up at him standing there, and as usual her heart melted at the sheer beauty of him, seeing that he was wearing the tie that matched his eyes; he’d taken off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt over his tanned muscular forearms. More important though, and more affecting, was the open expression on his face as he looked at her, as if he knew he could let down his guard with her…and she knew what a big deal this was to someone who kept out 99 percent of the rest of the world. Okay…further ruminations on the existential state of their relationship would have to wait. She smiled warmly at him… “Of course, I’ll be there in two seconds.”

Oliver smiled back at her, then turned and went back to his desk, gathering together his list of questions. Aagh! She must think he was a complete idiot, Oliver berated himself, he always had to ask her to explain everything, he knew he was getting better as his knowledge of the corporate world generally, and QC’s interests specifically, grew, but Felicity knew absolutely everything. But he knew she would never hold that over his head. She might tease him, but only in her sweetly mocking way, never with any malicious intent…he really didn’t know what he would do without her, but really, he didn’t understand what she saw in him, why she had this little crush on him. He knew she had a fascination with his abs; and he supposed she respected his efforts to help the city, but he knew that couldn’t last, when eventually she’d realize how reprehensible he was, and that he was really just a cold-stone killer.

He just really didn’t get it…

He heard her steps and then looked up and…Oh God, she was wearing that dress…

She’d been sitting at her desk when he got in that morning, so he hadn’t notice what she was wearing.

His obsession with this dress had started a couple of months after he’d first met her, he’d come into the office because Walter had wanted to speak to him about something. Felicity had been leaning on Walter’s desk showing him something on her tablet. (He found out later that she had been doing an investigation for him into his mother’s shady dealings – which he later also discovered she had done under threat from Malcolm Merlyn.) All he’d known was he’d walked in and there had been a woman in a dress, a bright blue dress, that had a cutout on her lower back that showed a swath of smooth skin, with a subtle slit that showed a peak of soft thigh.

Walter had greeted him, and the girl turned, and he’d seen it was Felicity, the girl from IT who had helped him a couple of times, even though he’d come in with those ridiculous cover stories. The first time he saw her in her little cubby, she’d been wearing a pink button up blouse. In spite of being so simply dressed, he’d seen her bright eyes, and her “I see right through you” smile and expression, and he’d been completely smitten…but he had never imagined he’d have reason to actually know her, to know this girl in the incredibly sexy blue dress.

“Oliver, you’ve met Miss Smoak haven’t you.?” Walter asked.

Felicity smiled at him, with a glint of amusement in her eyes.

“Um yes,” Oliver had smiled back, “Miss Smoak was kind enough to help me with some computer problems a few months ago.”

“Well then you were fortunate, Felicity is one of our greatest assets in the IT department…” 

Walter had looked at Felicity and said smilingly, “thank you Miss Smoak, that will be all.”

“Mr. Steele.” She walked toward Oliver as she headed toward the door, “Mr. Queen,” she added and smirked simultaneously.

Oliver doesn’t remember much of what happened after that because all he could think the whole time he was talking to Walter was, bright eyes, a warm smile, and…That. Dress….

Oliver returned his brain back to the present, to see that Felicity had been standing there for a few minutes with an expectant look on her face.

“Oliver? Did you say you had some questions for me?”

“Um, yes.” His voice squeaked, and he saw her eyebrows lift questioningly. He cleared his throat and tried again.

“Yes…I do, about the…” and he launched into his questions about the projects under consideration for QC…they spoke for a few minutes, as Felicity patiently answered questions and explained everything he needed.

…okay, thank you, I think I’ve got a handle on it now.”

He gathered his papers and stood up to put on his suit jacket.

Felicity said, “Just remember you have the biggest thing…I mean, you are the biggest…I mean, you are the most important person in the room, and don’t let them take control of the conversation.”

Oliver looked down into the big eyes and sweet smile of Felicity, as she once again rambled on a series of humorously inappropriate babbles.

“I won’t. How can I fail with you next to me?” He said smiling at her.

“Do you think you can make it a few minutes without the dedicated Ms. Smoak by your side Oliver?” Felicity whirled around, “Moira…I mean, Mrs. Queen…um, how are you?”

“I’m well thank you…Oliver?” Moira asked coolly, with her poised and inscrutable face. (Oliver must have gotten those genes from her.)

“Mom!” How nice to see you. Why are you here?” Oliver replied as he kissed her on the cheek. 

(Why did he ALSO have to be so sweet to his mother?!? Like he needs ANOTHER reason on top of looks, charm, kindness, smarts, bravery, and a dry humor, to turn a girl’s head,) Felicity thought to herself. 

“Can I not visit my son at his office?”

“Of course…just, you haven’t lately.”

“I’m actually here to have a word with Ms. Smoak.” Moira replied.

“Well, we’re about to go into a meeting with the Financial Advisory board…,” Oliver drifted off helplessly. She knew he was trying to find a way for her not to have to be alone with Moira Queen…he also looked confused, and a bit alarmed, as to why she would WANT to talk to Felicity.

“Oliver, surely you can start without her, you are the CEO, are you not?”

“Um yes…I’m…yes.” He looked apologetically at Felicity.

“Oliver, it’s fine…I’m happy to speak with you Mrs. Queen. Oliver, I’ll join you in a few minutes.” To herself she said – WOMAN UP FELICITY, you help Oliver take down notorious evil doers on a nightly basis. Surely you can face one slightly scary (she did try to destroy the city) always elegant, rarely lacking in composure, society Queen, mother of your boss. STOP…. get a grip and stop rambling.

“Miss Smoak.”

“Yes M…Mrs. Queen?”

“I was wondering if you could help me with some research…My son has mentioned that you are quite adept at…” and here Moira paused and raked a cool and familiarly blue-eyed gaze, seeing another of Oliver’s traits that clearly came from the Moira gene pool, “…computers.”

Felicity felt her cheeks burn under Moira’s scathing glance but only responded, “Of course, I’m happy to help.” Felicity answered more confidently as Moira had brought up the one thing Felicity knew herself to be more than qualified.

“There’s a name I’d like you to check for me, see what you can learn about him, his background…Family, criminal activities…” Felicity’s eyebrows raised at this wondering if Moira was going down another ethically questionable path, and if so, did Felicity want to be a part of it.

“Alright, may I ask what this is regarding?” 

Moira looked at her with eyes that could freeze ice. “No, you may not.” 

Moira moved to leave but then turned in a purposeful manner, as if she just thought of something, when Felicity was fairly certain that whatever it was, had been planned. “…and one more thing, I would like you to keep this between us, there’s no need for Oliver to be bothered with this…he has enough on his plate.”

“Mrs. Queen, I’m not sure I can do that, we share everything…I mean, I tell him everything.”

Felicity felt more and more uncomfortable under the increasingly icy gaze of Moira. “I work for him Mrs. Queen, even if I wanted to keep this from him, I’m not sure I could.”

“Please Miss Smoak, you surely must have free time, I mean you aren’t with my son 24 hours a day, are you?”

Felicity muttered under her breath, “…practically…”

“Or is there more going on between you and my son? Some other relationship that you may be trying to keep under wraps?”

Good Lord, Oliver didn’t learn ALL his skills at interrogation during his time away.

“Of course not Mrs. Queen, there’s no relationship between us,” Felicity said, and could say without lying…since when did someone stalking someone else and beating up potential rapists for them constitute a relationship? “Other than employer and employee.”

“Good. Then you can easily help me. Of course, if you can’t, or choose not to…I’m sure I can find…some other young woman who is perhaps better suited to the position of Executive Assistant to the CEO of the company that has been in the Queen family for generations, and who would be more amenable to doing all they could to help the Queen family.”

Man…she was good. And while she was fairly certain Oliver wouldn’t do as Moira threatened…there was just the tiniest bit of doubt in the back of her head that said that maybe Oliver, as much as he loved his mother…though she knew he was still having a few issues with her due to the Undertaking, might not want to go against her, particularly when he suffered overwhelming guilt at the fact that he thought he wasn’t actually the son Moira thought he was…though Felicity knew him actually to be far better than the son he thought he was, only he refused to accept that.

Felicity realized that there was a deafening silence that had emerged as she had been lost down one of her classic mental wormholes, and that Moira was looking expectantly at her. She knew she really had no choice, though how she would keep this from Oliver, she wasn’t entirely sure, since they were together almost constantly. On top of which she was INCREDIBLY bad at hiding things from him; but she’d have to try. Because it wasn’t actually saving her own skin, that made her worry about Moira’s threat (though she’d certainly come to enjoy the cushy salary she had now as Oliver’s EA, and the cute shoes it represented.) No, she just knew that without her where she was, Oliver’s life would become tenfold more difficult, and it was already an almost impossible life to maintain as it was. And she could not bear the thought of Oliver suffering in any way, particularly if it was something she could help.

“Fine, what’s the name?”

“Roy Harper.”

“Do you have any details for me to go on?”

“Not really,” Moira answered. 

Her business concluded, Moira moved toward the door, and it was only when she got there did she turn back and say, “Remember Ms. Smoak, not a word to Oliver. Now, you should really get into that meeting since you are clearly…” again Moira looked her up and down, “indispensable to fulfilling my son’s needs.”

Felicity stood there with her mouth open watching Moira glide elegantly to the elevators.

Great, now even Oliver’s MOTHER thought she was sleeping with him. She took a breath, as she tried to compose herself, and picked up her notes, ready to head into the meeting, vowing never to have a reason to ever let down Oliver Queen.

\-------------------------------------------

“So, what did my mother want?” Oliver asked as they walked out of the board room into his office.

Felicity had spent the first half of the meeting trying to process Moira Queen’s unpleasant request, and the last half trying to work through one of the problems the financial board had posed, and as it could involve a new algorithm for tracking profitability, to update the one they had, which might as well be ten people with calculators and an Excel spreadsheet given how ineffective they were; so her brain was doing a deep dive into the Felicity zone. Because of this she ran straight into the VERY, broad back of Oliver as he stopped to look at something on his phone. Of course, given the strength in his legs, and his extremely developed sense of balance, it didn’t faze him, he just turned around and caught Felicity by the shoulders as she started to slip when she bounced off of him.

“Are you okay?” He asked, bending his knees to look straight into her eyes. Felicity was thinking of the number of times a day Oliver was required to ask her that, which made her wonder if she did indeed have an inner ear imbalance, and then she was caught up in the vibrant blue eyes that were staring at her and she forgot altogether what day it was.

“Umm. Wait.,” Felicity blinked a few times, “…yes I’m fine, wait…what did you say?”

“I asked what my mother wanted with you. She’s not roping you into organizing another gala, is she? Surely the Queen dynasty can take a little time in between efforts to save the citizens of Starling City?” As Felicity knew Oliver spent his every waking moment doing everything in his power to save the aforementioned citizens, she knew he was kidding, and of course the twinkle in his eyes made that clear as well.

“Er…no, she ah…” Felicity had been so caught up in trying to sort through Moira’s request, and then attending to the meeting, she’d forgotten to devote any brain space to coming up with a plausible excuse to give Oliver, one that she’d actually be able to carry off. OH! She could just do what Oliver did in these situations, stick to the truth as much as possible, only altering one detail, or leaving it out altogether. Of course, this rarely worked with her, as there had yet to be a moment where she hadn’t been able to see right through him, even when no one else could.

“She wanted me to do a bit of research.”

“What kind of research?” And here was the tricky bit….

“Oh, just someone she used to know, that she’s lost track of…and wanted to get back in touch with them.” Felicity bit her lip before she went on, fighting her strong natural inclination to ramble incessantly, and to over explain everything.

“Huh…wonder who. Did she give you a name?”

Man, why couldn’t Oliver just be like most guys who only half listened to what the women around them said, and once they determined it had nothing to do with them, move on to something that did.

“Er…. just an old college friend, she didn’t think you’d know him, er…her.” STOP TALKING FELICITY! Oh, thank god, she thought as her phone went off. Saved by the beep.

“What’s that?”

“I set it up for it to notify me when there were results available from my search.” She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows, you know…My SEARCH.”

Oliver caught on, “Oh yes…And?”

“Well, I need to look more closely at the specific data, remember I had two searches going…this one just says that there doesn’t appear to be any specific connection between the items that have gone missing, so that’s potentially a bust. But there may be something useful from the other one, but I can’t look at it fully here.”

“Didn’t you say you were weren’t feeling well earlier Felicity?” Oliver looked at her questioningly.

“What, I feel fine…oh yes, I was feeling a bit off, I think I had a bad breakfast burrito….”

“Maybe you should take the afternoon off.”

“Yes, I think that would be best Mr. Queen.” She finished with this since the company PR director had just arrived for her 11:30 meeting with the CEO.

“Of course Ms. Smoak, take whatever time you need. Let me know how it’s going…er, when you feel better.”

“Thank you.” Felicity rushed to her desk, then realized that maybe someone who didn’t feel well, wouldn’t be rushing, so she slowed down and tried to walk in an unwell manner.

\----------------------------------------

Oliver strode into the lair and walked over to Felicity’s station, Diggle right behind. He needed to find out what she’d learned but he also had a sneaking suspicion, Felicity had been trying to avoid telling him earlier, exactly what his mother had wanted.

“What have we got?”

“I told you that I’d found something interesting in my second search, which was looking for any similar type thefts, anywhere else, of major tech corps. Over the last seven years, in Monument City, Coast City, and Central City, there were a string of thefts, such as ours. They lasted over a period of 2-4 months, usually, 3-5 places, and then they would stop abruptly, and nothing more would happen. In each case, a single proprietary item was stolen, using cutting edge technology usually humanitarian in nature, but always there was an air of secrecy and the specific details of either how it came about, or what its intended use or implications were for the field in which it existed.”

“You’re saying we’ve got a humanitarian high tech Cat Burglar? That doesn’t make sense.”

Felicity whirled around on her chair to respond and saw that Oliver was still in his work clothes, albeit without a jacket and with the blue tie, loose around his collar. She knew there was something she was supposed to say but somehow the image of that tie being pulled off his neck and thrown on the floor followed by a white shirt, and GAH, when did it get so hot in here???

“Felicity! Was there something you wanted to add?” Oliver asked. 

Felicity blinked, "Yes…Um…as I said earlier, there isn’t any real connection between each of the items stolen, other than the humanitarian aspect, as well as the murkier aspects associated with them. So the next thing I’m doing is trying to see if I can find out if there is any particular significance to the geographical and/or temporal movement of the groups of thefts.” 

“Good, in the meantime…why don’t we go stake out the remaining two firms on your list and see if Nick Night shows up.”

John answered, “Yeah…we can split up, make sure each is covered.”

“I’m not sure I’m crazy about the idea of us splitting up John.”

“Oliver, I don’t think this guy is dangerous, that doesn’t appear to be his M.O., the only way we’re going to catch him is if we can cover both spots, BEFORE, he gets there.”

Oliver stood there with his arms folded, his brow furrowed, turning over in his head John’s suggestion.

These were the times Felicity wished she could reach out and comfort him somehow. He felt every decision, he lived every potential danger to those he cared about, he took on every fear or pain himself of those for whom he felt responsible. How could he ever think he was anything but a good man, with a good heart.

“Okay, fine…but if you sense any threat…. you get out of there. Felicity, make sure you closely monitor John.”

“Oliver I am always on top of both of you…wait, that REALLY didn’t sound right…”

Other than a nod to her, Oliver seemed not to have heard her usual ridiculous babble as he walked toward his Arrow suit…but at the last minute he turned back to her, placed his hand over her shoulder, and said, “I know you are, and thank you.” His eyes lingered on her face for a moment, and then he moved quietly away.

Felicity stood watching him a moment and then turned back to her computer, holding that last look of Oliver in her head…Ack, what was it with him and those looks, was this some more of that “protective thing?” She still didn’t trust what John had said…again, what would Oliver Queen, former playboy of the Western hemisphere, want with her? I mean, I know I’m valuable to him, her computer skills, her support at QC, she knew he was fond of her but…. more than that? HAH, not likely. In spite of what John had said, it had to just be a big brother thing…like she had with John, though she herself definitely did NOT feel sisterly toward him…no indeedy, what she felt toward him, and the thoughts she had, would be HIGHLY wrong were she actually his little sister…suddenly an image of Oliver, shirtless, working out on the salmon ladder, came into her head as her mind traveled down this oft recalled image…

“FELICITY!”

“FRACK, WHAT?” Felicity jumped as she heard Oliver’s voice in her head, which had made her start suddenly, followed by subsequent feelings of guilt at the fact she was having these thoughts while he and John were out risking danger in the field.

“Um…sorry to bother you, “Oliver said with a flat voice, “But I said, John and I are both on site.”

“Oh yes. Right.” Felicity hurriedly pulled up the schematics she had for each building. In the back of her head, while never losing focus on what she was looking at (yeah, her brain is freakish like that), Felicity started trying to sort through the problem of how to a) find out what more there was to each of the items that had been stolen, I mean, Zombies? Yeah, there had to be something more going on and b) how to find a way to reveal how the patterns of the thefts were formed, and what may have driven them.

\------------------------------------------

“Well, that was time wasted.” Oliver exclaimed as he pounded down the stairs with what Felicity called in her head, his angry feet. He walked over and slammed his bow down on the table.

“I’m sorry Oliver, I still think those two places are the likely next stops for Nick Night, but he may be staying low for a while to put people at ease. Remember that I said each set of thefts in other cities were over a period of 2-4 months?”

Oliver rubbed his hands over his face, “I know…but we have got to come up with a better way to beat this guy.”

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he leaned back against the table and looked directly at Felicity. “We never had a chance to finish talking about what my mother wanted. She said she asked you to track down an old friend? She’s not making you do something that is uncomfortable for you is she?” Oliver had concern in his eyes and that small frown between them.

Felicity could feel the flush of shame climbing up her neck, and also wonder at how smart Oliver was, and how unerringly intuitive he was… (about most things), that just by reading her face, he knew that something was off with her.

Struggling to come up with a plausible answer, she said, “Uncomfortable? NO, why would she ask me to do something uncomfortable? What’s uncomfortable about research…It’s what I do every day, it’s not exactly comfortable illegally hacking into secret government databases, but that’s what I do because it’s what you need me to do…” Felicity stopped when she saw Oliver’s face change, the wall came down and the masque once again enveloped him, and she hated that she’d done the one thing she never wanted to do to him, make him feel guilty, since Oliver felt needless guilt every day of his life from the wrongs he erroneously thought he committed, to his perception of himself as a bad person, when really he was the best person she knew. CURSE HER DAMN TONGUE.

But, sadly with her outburst, she’d distracted him from pursuing further Moira’s request.

“Oliver, I didn’t mean that…I’m sorry…I’m always happy to do what I need to do to help the team, no matter what.”

Oliver jumped up and said, “No…you know what, that’s fine…It’s really none of my business what you and my mother talked about.”

“Oliver…”

“It’s fine Felicity.” He gave her his fake, dealing-with-society smile, “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.”

With that, he strode off, and Felicity could see the tension in his shoulders and arms as he moved away.

“Well crap.” Felicity said to herself.

She could kill herself for hurting Oliver. Everyone else hurt him on a regular basis, and he just took it…because he thought he deserved it, and because he would do whatever it took to help everyone, even at the cost of his own feelings. She and John were supposed to be his refuge…and then she’d gone and done this.

Well, it was still the better choice, not revealing to him what Moira had asked of her, with the threat of him losing Felicity all together, which she knew was not an option. Better he be a little hurt and upset with her now, though she knew he was actually upset with himself, than lose her later, which would jeopardize everything he was trying to do.

Trying to push down her sadness and regret at upsetting Oliver, she turned to her always reliable comfort and escape, her computers. First, she set up some initial searches on Roy to run by themselves, then she set up an algorithm to correlate the tech thefts with known tech criminals. While these ran, she turned back to the data they had gotten about the zombies. Grateful for having something to focus on…she let her brain leave the structure of reality, into the world of computing, where she was Queen…she snorted, yeah right… 

\-------------------------------------

Oliver walked through the foyer of the mansion, he’d driven himself home, and really did not feel up to talking to anyone. He couldn’t stop brooding over Felicity, and what she’d said. He always worried about her safety, in what they did, even though she rarely left the foundry, and no one had any reason to think she was anything more than his executive assistant…boy, wasn’t “everyone” wrong. He would not allow himself to put into words everything Felicity was to him, or to name, specifically, what his feelings were for her other than the vague “protectiveness,” that he’d fobbed her off with, but he knew he felt big things, he had almost from the moment he’d met her, down in her IT cubby, and those feelings were only getting bigger, which scared him on many levels, the primary one being that even if he wanted to get closer to her, he couldn’t because doing so would put her in more danger than she already was just for working with the Arrow. Now to top it off he felt guilty for having put Felicity in a morally uncomfortable position, and once again dragging someone he cared about down into his darkness.

“Ollie, hey…” He looked up to see Thea coming out of the TV room, carrying her phone, and some magazines, clearly looking sleepy and ready for bed.

“Hey Speedy, early night?”

“Ha. Well, I got ditched again, so I decided to stay home and binge watch bad TV and drown myself in ice cream.”

“Got ditched? By whom?” Oliver was exhausted but he knew he’d let Thea down the other night, at the gala, and wanted to find out what was wrong with her. She stopped and sat down on the stairs going up to the second floor, so Oliver sat down next to her.

“Oh, just a guy…or, well I thought he was becoming more than just a guy…but maybe I was wrong.”

Thea sounded more dejected than he had ever heard her, she was usually irrepressible. This guy must mean something to her, and if he was letting her down, well…The Arrow might have to do some re-con and intimidation. “Who then?”

“You don’t know him…his name’s Roy…Roy Harper.”

“Huh. Well, what’s this “Roy Harper’s” deal? If he’s not treating you right, he’s not worth your time.”

“Oh, don’t go all big brother…you don’t even know him. Roy is great, he’s good, and sweet, and smart…he’s just…great.” Thea started crying at this point and Oliver scooted closer and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Hey Speedy.” Oliver said softly, in the voice only one other person in the world knew he even had,” Hey…What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. I think, well…Roy’s had some really hard times and I think..I think I just need to give him some space.”

Thea wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas, and looked back up at Oliver with a small, closed smile.” Really Ollie, it’ll be fine. But, I appreciate you listening.”

“Of course, I’d do anything for you, you know that right?”

“I know.”

“Okay then, why don’t you hop off to bed…but if you need anything, like me kicking this guy Roy’s butt, well, you just say the word.”

This made Thea giggle. “You Oliver? Kick someone’s butt? I think I’d be better off asking Mr. Diggle for help if it came to that.”

“Hmmm…maybe you’re right.” Oliver tried not to feel the small twinge of hurt at Thea’s words. “Well, remember, I am a billionaire CEO, I’m sure I could scrounge up some funds to hire a hit-guy or something.” He smiled at her.

This made her laugh. “Sure Ollie. Okay…I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Night Speedy.” 

Oliver sat there a moment longer, and then made his way up to his room to go to bed, even though he sleep would evade him, as it did most nights.


	6. The Vigilante to Be Named Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, so happy to have you here.
> 
> So, this is a bit longer than previous chapters...and though we do meet someone important, it's pretty much Oliver and Felicity, and they've got some things to work out.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: A brief reference to and image of Domestic Violence
> 
> and no, I sure don't own Arrow...but we can dream, right?
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

Chapter Six – The Vigilante to Be Named Later

“Felicity, where am I going?” Oliver barked in her ear.

“Whoa, you wanna turn that down a decibel or 10 Oliver, I’m right here.” Felicity yelled.

“Well, I wasn’t sure the comm was working since I didn’t know where I was going, and wow – I still don’t.”

Felicity muttered under her breath, “…with a tone like that I’m thinking you need to go back to cotillion school, or wherever it is rich boys go to learn manners.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Okay, you’re coming up on it now. John are you in position?”

They were taking a break from trying to figure out Night’s next move, and instead were attacking some of the crime that had popped out all over the Glades after whole neighborhoods had been destroyed following the Undertaking. A side mission was trying to track down the “red hood vigilante,” someone who’d decided to turn into a mini-Oliver. The guy seemed particularly interested when there were women involved who needed help. Oliver couldn’t stand to have it on his conscience, if this guy got killed while following the example of The Arrow.

“…okay, that’s that,” Felicity said as they were wrapping things up, “Oh, there’s a 911 from a domestic disturbance about three blocks from your location Oliver, and…” 

“…and that seems like a prime opportunity to catch the Red Hood in action.” Oliver replied.

“Exactly, two birds…one Arrow.”

Oliver, smiled at Felicity’s words, and then felt shame at the way he’d spoken to her earlier, so he spoke softly when he responded, “Thank you Felicity, good catch.”

Felicity smiled a bit, knowing exactly what was going through Oliver’s head. “You’re welcome.”

“Oliver, do you want me on site?” John asked.

“Nah, this is more a recon and maybe interrogation job…. You head on home.”

“Thanks Oliver, I told Lyla I’d swing by. You be careful and call if you need me.”

“Thanks Dig.”

John slipped away and went off comms.

“Felicity, you there?”

“Of course.”

“Why don’t you head out as well?”

“Oliver, I am not leaving you blind in The Glades.”

“Really, it’s fine, if I run into a problem, I’ll let you know.”

“If you’re sure.”

“Absolutely. See you in the morning?”

“Okay, see you then…and Oliver?”

“Yes?”

“Please be careful.”

“I will.”

And with that Oliver turned off the comms in his ear. As he made his way over to the DD location, he thought about why he had been so short with Felicity earlier, and about why her comment last night had made him so upset. It wasn’t anything he didn’t think about every day of his life. Why did it matter so much to him that it was Felicity who was being put in a compromising position by her association with him? Why was…but, here his train of thought stopped, and he switched back into full Arrow mode, when he saw something red out of the corner of his eye.

“Got you.” He slowed his bike down and parked it next to a brick wall in an alley.

Oliver moved to intercept the Red Hood as the guy hopped a fence that surrounded the apartment building from where the 911 call had originated. Oliver followed, in complete stealth, and as he watched him, he had to admit, the guy seemed pretty fit. As he closed in on him, in Arrow voice he said, “You need to stop doing this.”

Red Hood whipped around, looking shocked that he hadn’t heard Oliver approaching him, well no one ever did, he’d been well trained in the art of moving silently, under conditions in which the stakes were life or death if someone were to hear him.

“No.” the guy said simply. And turned and ran towards the building, easily vaulting over an abandoned car…but as he did so, his hood slipped down. “Now leave me alone so this lady can get some help.”

Oliver yelled again, “You need to stop before you get yourself killed.”

They were almost to the building, and Oliver could see through the window, a guy grabbing a woman by her hair. Before Red Hood guy had time to turn back around, Oliver had already shot an arrow through the window, hitting the man in his shoulder, pinning him to the wall behind him, giving the woman a chance to slip away.

Red Hood whipped back around and stared at him.

“You’re going to get killed if you keep this up, and I can’t have that.” Oliver said.

“Well, it’s not exactly up to you is it? But, since the police usually avoid The Glades like the plague, and you have way too much to do, somebody’s got to do it. People need help."

“And the person to do that is you, is it?” Oliver replied, and as Hood guy stepped under a streetlamp, he was able to see that he was just a kid, maybe 20 years old at the most.

“It is.” The kid said defiantly, refusing to look at him.

“You know of course, I could take you down and turn you over to the police before you even knew what was happening right?”

“I thought you were supposed to help people, not turn them over to the cops.”

“Turning you over to the police, getting you off the street before you die, would be helping you.”

The sound of sirens, that had been blaring in the distance, drew closer.

“Well, you’d have to catch me first.” With that the kid took a running leap toward the concrete wall behind the building and jumped to the top, turned, gave a little wave, and dropped out of sight.

Oliver could have easily caught him, and handed him over to Detective Lance, but something stopped him, and he wasn’t exactly sure what that was. He could hear the squad cars pulling up behind him, so he took off himself, away from where the Red Hood had gone.

\--------------------------------------

Felicity sat in her car outside the Foundry…doing something she rarely did, stalling facing up to something. Which really was completely unacceptable. It’s just, what would she say, ‘Hey Oliver, you know how you were yelling at me the other night…well that hurt my feelings…Why would that hurt your feelings Felicity? OH, because I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU’

Yeah, not really the way to go here. Plus, in the back of her mind, she blamed herself for it, given what she, and her babbling brain had said to him the other night. GAH! So stupid. Like Oliver needed any MORE guilt heaped on his head when he pretty much was a non-stop guilt self-replicator.

“AACK!!” Felicity screamed when someone suddenly knocked on her window. Um, speak of the REALLYGOOD LOOKING devil…Seeing Oliver, his gorgeous, and WOW, pissed off looking face through the window. She rolled it down.

“Felicity, WHAT are you doing? Why are you sitting out here by yourself, IN THE GLADES?”

“Whoa back off there Mr. Arrow Man.”

She saw him take a deep breath and let it out.

“Sorry,” he said more calmly, “Why are you out here? You know it’s not safe in this neighborhood after dark.”

Since Felicity couldn’t very well tell him she had been sitting out here putting off going in the foundry because she didn’t know what to say to him, she said the first thing that popped into her head, which wasn’t always a good way to go, given the crazy that was her brain.

“Um…I uh…I didn’t feel great…and I thought I’d better sit here a minute and see if it would pass.”

Oliver’s face changed immediately, into his concerned look. “Are you all right? Do we need to take you to the doctor…the ER? Is it your stomach? Or something else?”

Crap, now he was all worried, and Oliver in worried mode would quickly turn into overprotective-to-the-extreme mode, which is what he did when anyone he cared about had something wrong.

“Really…it’s okay Oliver.” Felicity rolled her window up in a hurry, grabbed her stuff, and opened the door so quickly Oliver barely had time to step back. She hopped up, gave him a smile, and said, “See all better. Now….”

“Are you sure? Would you like to head home and rest?”

“No, really, I’m fine Oliver.” With that she turned and walked quickly toward the building…Oliver moved to catch up, and given his incredibly long legs, and her short ones, did so within about 5 seconds.

“Well, if you’re sure…”

“I’m fine.”

“If you change your mind, don’t think twice about taking off early.”

“Oliver.” She turned around and stared up at him with her best, ‘get a grip,’ glare.

Oliver backed off, with his hands in the air, and a smile on his face,” Okay, okay…”

She smiled back, and then continued walking toward the grungy industrial looking building with the darkened Verdant sign above the door.

“So…I wanted to talk to you about last night.” Oliver began.

“What about last night?” Felicity felt her stomach tighten up.

“About me being kind of a jerk…I wanted to apologize.”

“No need to apologize Oliver, it was a stressful situation.”

“No, it wasn’t…well, okay…maybe it was, but when is it not?”

Felicity laughed softly at that, “True.”

“But that’s no excuse for the way I spoke to you.”

“It’s fine Oliver, really.”

“No, it’s not.” Oliver grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him. They had reached the doors of the foundry. Felicity looked up at him and the bright light from the full moon had hit him square on the face, the play of light bringing into stark relief, his striking bone structure, the high cheek bones, the cut glass jaw, the hooded eyes.

He continued, “Felicity you are an integral and irreplaceable member of this team and should never be treated with anything less than the greatest respect, and I don’t want you ever to question how highly valued you are. We literally could not do what we do every night without you.”

Felicity was looking at the ground while Oliver spoke, she could feel her heart stinging just a bit with disappointment. Of course, the team…that’s what it came down to, Oliver didn’t want her to leave the team.

“Of course, Oliver, thank you…and, I understand. I’m important to the team.

“NO, you don’t get it…Aagh!” Oliver scrubbed his hands over his face, one of his classic frustration moves.

Felicity looked up at him in confusion, a questioning look on her face.

Oliver stared a moment at her face, her beautiful, intelligent, face. Why was he so bad at this…Why could he never say what he meant?

“Felicity, it’s not just the team.” His body stilled, and he stepped into her…mere inches between the two of them, ignoring any notion of personal body space, his large frame now blocking out the moonlight, leaning over slightly so that Felicity had to tilt her head completely back in order to maintain eye contact.

“You are important to me. Not just the team. I literally could not do this without you. But more importantly, I don’t want to do this without you. And I was a complete jerk to you last night because…” and here Oliver faltered, because he didn’t want to say the real reason, that he’d been hurt that she thought he’d purposely try to make her uncomfortable, and guilty, because he didn’t want her, of all people, to have her light dimmed by the shadows that were his eternal companions.

He could see Felicity holding her breath, a look of eager anticipation on her face, waiting to hear what he would say next.

“…because I just was. I was in a bad mood, and I took out on you, and I’m sorry.”

He saw her face dim just a bit, her eyes looking quickly away, and then…. looking back up at him, the anticipation gone, her sweet smile there instead.

“It’s really okay Oliver, I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“For making you think for even one minute that I am uncomfortable doing what I do for you, for the team. I would do it a million times over, and I don’t want you ever to think differently.”

“But Felicity…”

“No buts Oliver, you are not to add me to your little internal pantheon of guilt icons, not ever. I’m here because I want to be here, of my own free will. I choose this, I have chosen this, and I will choose it again tomorrow. Because I want to…” She poked him in the chest, WOW HIS VERY HARD CHEST, good lord WAS HE WEARNG KEVLAR UNDER THAT BUSINESS SUIT? “…got it?”

Oliver opened his mouth as if to protest, and Felicity just lifted on eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge her.

He closed his mouth, one corner of it lifted, then he gave a small nod, and said, “Got it.”

They were still standing there, both oblivious to the fact that they were mere inches apart, and Oliver began to speak, in a soft tone, “Felicity…there’s something else…”

“Hi guys. Whatcha doin’? Are we waiting for every criminal in the Glades to stroll past and see the Arrow’s secret lair?” Neither one of them heard John approach, which Oliver realized was bad, but more confirmation that he didn’t need to say what he really wanted to say to Felicity. He couldn’t afford to become that lost in her, in anyone…it just wasn’t safe, particularly for her.

They jumped apart guiltily, both looking down at the ground, or around the lot, anywhere but at each other, or John; both started talking at the same time, stumbling over their words.

John just stood there staring at the two of them, an amused expression on his face. The two of them scurried into the building, John following behind shaking his head.

\-------------------------------

As they walked down the stairs, Oliver said “Felicity I need you to do a background check on someone for me.”

“Sure, “Felicity replied, taking her coat off as she headed to her station, “Who?”

“Roy Harper.”

Felicity dropped her bag, unaware that she wasn’t actually holding it over her table. As it clunked loudly on the ground (she had a lot of stuff in it), Oliver leapt forward and kneeled down to help her pick it up, at the same time Felicity had, turning red she asked, “Why? why do you…Who’s Roy Harper, why would I know anything about Roy Harper? I wouldn’t, nope, I don’t know anyone with the name Roy Harper, why do you want to know Oliver?”

Felicity was sounding even more flustered than she usually did, and that was a high bar over which to leap, as well as being something he found absolutely adorable, but concerned, Oliver looked at her with a lifted eyebrow and asked, “Felicity, are you okay?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be okay, even though you just pop up out of the blue, and ask me to research someone I’ve never heard of, I’m okay…”

Oliver looked over to John with questioning look on his face who just shrugged and mouthed, ‘I have no idea,’ before turning and walking into the back of the lair to do what he usually did before they went out, which was to check his weapons. When John looked back over his shoulder Oliver shot him a dirty look and mouthed back, ‘coward.’ John just grinned and pointed at him.

Oliver walked toward her station and said, “Felicity. Take a breath.” He laid his hand gently on her shoulder. He felt the tension in Felicity’s shoulder as she looked at the ground. After a moment he felt her shoulders rise up and down as she took deep breaths, in the effort to calm down. He was trying to figure out what was going on because the name Roy Harper clearly meant something to her, and was very upsetting to her, and she was trying…and failing, not to admit that to him. But, just as Felicity had always seen through his BS, from day one, she has never really been able to hide anything from him.

He helped Felicity up from the floor and into her chair, with one hand, and put her bag on the desk in front of her. He kept his hand on her shoulder, only now he’s lightly squeezing it, trying to reassure her. Felicity can’t deny that it helps, his touch is incredibly soothing to her, and with that thought, she gives herself a mental shake, and yells at herself to get it together.

“Are you okay now?” Oliver asks softly.

Felicity nods.

“Alright, so…do you want to tell me why the name of Thea’s new boyfriend pushed the Felicity Smoak fluster babble emergency button?” He asked smiling, trying to inject a small bit of humor in order to get her to relax.

“Thea’s boyfriend?!?” Felicity yells.

“Um, yes? She’s been seeing him for a couple of months I think, but he’s kind of giving her the run around and I want to make sure he’s just being a bad boyfriend, and not something more sinister, as in…should I play the Big Brother card, or does the Arrow need to get involved.”

“Thea’s boyfriend.” Felicity says more to herself, than to anyone else, as if she’s trying to puzzle something out, “Well that kind of makes sense.”

“What makes sense? You still haven’t told me why you know his name.”

Felicity turned red again and swirled her chair around to her computer and started typing frantically.

“I can’t.”

Oliver grabbed the back of her chair, turned her back around, put both hands on the arms of the chair, essentially creating an inescapable cage.

“Why not?” He’s locked eyes onto hers, those gorgeous intensely blue eyes.

“I just can’t.” Felicity is looking down at her lap now, fiddling with her fingers in a nervous manner.

“Felicity, you can tell me anything, you know that right?”

Felicity looks up slowly. She touches his hand lightly, and says, “I know Oliver. It’s just…Not this.”

“Why?” Oliver appears just as confused.

“Because I promised I wouldn’t!” 

“Promised who?”

Felicity hands are clenched, she can feel her nails biting into the palms of her hands. She looks at Oliver’s face, this face she knows as well as she knows her own, those eyes that always show her everything, and no one else, exactly who he is; that body and those hands, that she trusts with her life. And knows she has to trust him now. Trust that he’ll understand, and that he’ll know what to do, because he always does.

He starts to back away, starts to say, “Never mind…”

“Your mother.”

She can see she’s caught him off guard.

“My mother?”

“Yes.”

He stands there looking confused.

“My mother asked you to do a background check on Thea’s boyfriend?”

“Yes., though she didn’t tell me he was Thea’s boyfriend, she just gave me his name.”

“Okay, well, since I’m doing the same thing, I guess I can understand her asking you to do this.”

Felicity nods, and starts to relax, thinking that it’s over.

She’s wrong.

“But what I don’t understand is why she made you promise not to tell me…”

Felicity opens her mouth to respond, but then he continues.

“…but more importantly, why it is that you agreed.”

Felicity knew he wasn’t mad at her; he would never be mad at her, not truly.

“Oliver, I didn’t want not to tell you, I would never not trust you. I just, I…I didn’t have a lot of options.” She finished in a quiet voice, looking down at the ground, “…there was too much at stake.”

Oliver’s head jerked up at this, even more confusion on his face, “What do you mean, too much at stake? What was at stake…Wait…” Oliver suddenly felt chilled, “Did my mother threaten you in some way?” The chill turned to anger as everything finally clicked into place. This whole thing hadn’t made sense, because he knew Felicity, she didn’t have a duplicitous or disloyal bone in her body (if one didn’t count the times she would lie for the sake of The Arrow, in which case she would give the loyalty part the higher priority), and…

He. Knew. Moira.

“That’s it isn’t it? She threatened you.”

Felicity heard the Arrow tone slip into his voice…She knew this was going to be bad, she just couldn’t understand why Oliver had suddenly gone full Arrow. Why was he suddenly So mad at Moira? Does it matter that much to him? Does She matter that much to him? She was now the one who felt confused.

“Oliver, please…She’s just worried about Thea, and I’m sure she didn’t want you to be worried, you have so much on you. I’m sure she is just trying to protect you both.”

Oliver’s heart bumped a bit, this was why he lo…cared so much about Felicity, here she was trying to defend the very person who had threatened her, just because she didn’t want him to be angry at his mother.

Too late. But…Trying to inject a note of calm into his voice, he asked, “Felicity, can you tell me what she used to threaten you?”

Felicity started to speak, stopped, and began again, “It’s not important Oliver.”

He continued to look thoughtful, “It’s just, I can’t imagine what Moira could possibly have to hang over your head, she doesn’t know you, all she knows is that you are my…” And that was it.

Felicity saw the moment that Oliver figured it out, because he was just that smart.

“She threatened your job, didn’t she?”

Felicity just nodded, without looking up at him.

“Well, the joke’s on her of course, she doesn’t know how insanely overqualified you are for that job and that you can probably get one ten times better with one phone call.”

Felicity just nodded again. “Mmhmm,” still not looking at him.

There was something more going on here, he just…couldn’t figure out what that was.

“You know that right Felicity? That you will never be without a livelihood, hell…we all know you’d be a better CEO than me, any day of the week.”

Felicity sat there quietly, looking like she wanted to say something, but kept stopping herself. Suddenly, she appeared to have made a decision.

She looked straight up at him, an expression on her face that was somber and resolved.

“I wasn’t worried about my job Oliver.”

Oliver was once again confused. “Then what were you worried about?”

She just stared at him, as if hoping he could somehow read her mind so she wouldn’t have to say whatever it was she was thinking.

And apparently it worked.

“You weren’t worried about having your job taken away, you were worried about being taken away from me.”

“Oliver, I know what you do, what sacrifices you make, the impossible number of balls you juggle at every moment of the day. And I know…” and she turned a bit pink here, “…I know that I help make it possible for you to keep that balance, I smooth the way, something that someone else, who doesn’t know about all this,” she gestured around her, “could never do. I help you keep all your balls in the air…OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BRAIN?!?” She turned deep red, dropped her head and her shoulders slumped, riddled with embarrassment.

Oliver just chuckled to himself and thought that things were heading back to normal if Felicity let fly one of her classic unintended sexual innuendos. But instead of laughing out loud, he just stepped toward Felicity, knelt down, reached out his hand, and softly cupped her chin and lifted up her very red face.

“You’re right Felicity, you do make it possible for me to keep my balls in the air,” He smiled at her, “I couldn’t even begin to do the work I do without you, ever…you make my life possible. Don’t ever forget that. But it’s not your impeccable skills with Microsoft scheduling software that make you invaluable to me. It’s your loyalty, and your intelligence, and your kindness, and the knowledge I carry with me in everything I do that you will always have my back.”

Felicity could feel her eyes fill up, they were impossibly close now, all she could see were Oliver’s eyes, his Felicity eyes. She knew she couldn’t trust her voice to speak without breaking, so she just nodded, and then Oliver went in for the kill.

“Felicity Smoak, I will never let anyone take you away from me.”

\-----------------------------------------

Waiting for Oliver and John to let her know they were on site, Felicity’s thoughts wandered to the conversation she and Oliver had had, more specifically, to the last thing he said. …the, ‘He’d never let anyone take her from him.’ What the Frack?!? What did that mean? Did it mean, Felicity you are such a good girl Wednesday, I can’t manage without you, or Felicity your technical skills are an important tool to TA, or Felicity, I’m madly in love with you and never want us to be parted. BUZZZZ!!! Wrong answer! There was no way that last was what Oliver meant…but, what if it was, what if he just didn’t know how to say what he was feeling, or didn’t know if she felt the same way, and he didn’t feel confident enough…HALT, right, gorgeous, charming, billionaire CEO Oliver Queen didn’t have the confidence to share his feelings with nerdy IT girl Felicity Smoak who…

“…um hello? Felicity?” Oliver’s laughing voice was coming through the coms, “Are you there?”

“YES, I’m here, Sorry.” Felicity yelled.

“Asleep at the wheel there were you?” John teased.

“No, no... just…”

Oliver cut in with, “Okay, we’re here. What’s the status on security?”

They went on to talk their way through the mission, which was to break into the next tech firm on their list in the hopes that they would either catch Nick Night out, their preference, or at least gather intel on what his target at this particular firm might be. If they didn’t come across Night, they were to put Felicity’s fake flash drive (what Oliver and John called it) into one of the servers, to get information that Felicity could look at. As they looked around and there was clearly no sign of Night, Oliver’s focus began to wander…

Though he had tamped it down earlier in front of Felicity, his fury at his mother for threatening Felicity was enormous. He’d been trying to set aside his disappointment in her for her role in the Undertaking, because he knew the fear she’d had that Merlyn would harm him and Thea; but this stunt threatened to undo all of that. Felicity was the best person he knew, John being a very close second, and for her to be pressured into doing something out of fear, was untenable. His mother had no idea what she had brought upon herself. He would do anything he could to ensure Felicity’s happiness and security, and his Mother had threatened both, he…

“Okay, Oliver, I think we’re done.”

Oliver brought his mind back to the mission.

“Did you get Felicity what she needed?” John asked.

“Yep, let’s beat it before the next security round.”

“Right, Felicity we’re heading back.”

“Be careful.” 

\----------------------------------------------

“Here you go.”

“Great, thanks!” Felicity turned back to her computer, giddy, as she always was at the acquisition of new data. Information always made her happy.

“Before you deep dive into your little data pool of glee,” Oliver said, “Would you mind sharing what you’ve found out on Roy Harper?” Might as well head straight in, he wanted them to be able to push past any awkwardness that might still linger about this whole thing, he couldn’t stand to have tension between the two of them, it just felt…wrong.

“Sure, for the most part…he’s not a terrible guy, some run-ins with the police; petty larceny, brawling…but a lot of it is when he was a juvenile, so it’s blocked, but I, of course, could find it. Sadly, he lost his mother in the Undertaking, and I think that was his only family. It doesn’t appear that there was ever really a father on the scene.”

As she spoke, she typed in a few more things, and a picture popped up on the screen, looking like it was a mug shot. She sat there a minute waiting for Oliver to say something when suddenly he yelled.

“THAT’S ROY HARPER?!?!”

Felicity whirled around in her chair to see a very, and rarely seen, discomposed Oliver, with a face that was turning bright shades of crimson.

“Yes, why? Oliver, what’s wrong? Do you know him?”

“Yeah, I’d say I know him. He’s the Red Hooded vigilante!”


	7. Felicity Smoak: AKA - The Oliver Whisperer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, Thank you to everyone for reading, for your kudos, and for your thoughtful comments. I am so grateful. 
> 
> I love how invested you are in the story. 
> 
> This is a shorter chapter, but it’s one of my favorites, and it is all Olicity. 
> 
> So please enjoy!!

Chapter Seven – Felicity Smoak: AKA The Oliver Whisperer

Felicity held her cup of tea up to her face, blowing on the top to help it cool while she enjoyed the warmth as her hands wrapped tightly around it. She was freezing, after driving home in the rain, and even though she had run, first from the foundry to her car, and then her car to her apartment; she had still managed to get soaked and was now chilled to the bone. She’d put on her favorite flannel pajama bottoms, pink with little baby Yoda’s all over them, and a long sleeve t-shirt that said, “M.I.T. (Massive Intelligence Team) with a picture of a girl in glasses holding a calculator in one hand and a trophy in the other. On her feet were a pair of fuzzy brown Chewbacca slippers. It was one of her, ‘I’ve had a really rough day, and I am not in the mood to look cute,’ outfits. Her mom always said when Felicity wore these, she knew not to engage, and instead would just leave a bowl of Mint chocolate chip ice cream on the floor outside her room.

She had on one of her favorite Dr. Who episodes, the one where the Doctor (the David Tennant doctor) and Rose get stuck on a parallel earth, such a ridiculous idea, a parallel Earth? But interesting…unusually, though, she wasn’t thinking about the episode, she was still thinking about the evening; first that WOW, the Red Hooded vigilante was Thea’s boyfriend? Who saw that coming? But mainly, she couldn’t stop thinking about Oliver, and the ‘I’ll never let anyone take you away from me,’ showstopper.

BANG BANG BANG! Felicity jumped and promptly spilled hot tea on herself, who the hell was knocking at this hour? She didn’t have many friends in the city, acquaintances maybe…she’d started to form some friendships when she was in the IT department, but since moving up to the Executive floor, and becoming so busy with TA…she’d let them slide.

She went to the door and went up on tip toe to look through the peephole and saw…the impossible.

“FRACK!” She looked down at what she was wearing and thought, yes…if she had ever been in doubt about it before, she now knew it unequivocally. God hated her.

Well, not much she could do…she knew he’d just stand there until she opened the door, and if she didn’t, he’d probably just climb up on the roof and shimmy down the fire escape and come in a window.

With grim resignation, she swung open the door to…Oliver, looking like he’d just finished filming a commercial for some men’s cologne called, “Rugged,” or “Dauntless,” or something to that effect…in jeans, boots, his leather jacket, and a navy-blue Henley that of course conformed perfectly to his torso.

‘Hey…Felicity,” he said bemusedly, with his eyebrows raised. She could see him trying his absolute best not to laugh as his eyes raked up and down her body, “You look comfortable.” He smiled as he said this, not unkindly, there wasn’t an unkind bone in Oliver Queen’s body, but rather his eyes were full of mirth.

“Hmmph.” Felicity responded, “What are you doing here Oliver?”

Oliver stood there a minute trying to wrap his head around what was in front of him, thinking that yes, she did look comfortable, but she also looked…well, there was no other word for it; adorable. She was adorable, and huggable, and OH MY GOD…SHE WASN’T WEARING A BRA!!! Any thoughts of adorable and huggable flew out the window, and others took their place, kissable, sexy, desirable…but then he stopped himself, because…HE HAD TO STOP THINKING ABOUT IT, and also…he remembered why he was there.

Felicity realized suddenly, and to her horror, that she wasn’t wearing a bra, and she immediately folded her arms across her chest. She was struggling with uncontrollable embarrassment and as she looked back up to Oliver’s face, expecting to see his continued effort not to laugh at her, what she saw instead was that it was strained, and that in fact he appeared to be worried about something. This was underscored when he said, “I’m sorry for barging in, but do you have a minute to talk?”

“Of course, come in.” All concern about her appearance, or her bra-less state left her mind (well she was still thinking about it and would be remedying this lack of undergarments in short order,) but Oliver’s worry was foremost, she opened the door further and waved her hand gesturing for him to come in the door.

He stepped through the door, being careful to wipe his feet on the mat she had laid there; (always so polite, for all her faults, Moira had certainly instilled good manners in her son.)

She closed the door behind him, and said, “Oliver please have a seat,” glancing down, she hoped surreptitiously, toward her chest, she went on, “Can you just give me on minute though? I’ll be right back.” She started to walk down the hall but then turned back, “Would you like something to drink? Wine? Tea? Hot Chocolate? I have marshmallows, not the cute little ones people normally use, I have the big ones, I know a lot of people like little ones, but I always like the big ones, even though they are usually too big for my mouth, I have a small mouth, in spite of the fact it talks so much, so big things don’t usually fit…” Realizing what she’d said, Felicity’s babble ground to a halt and she felt her face heat up and was sure it was beet red.

Oliver stood looking at her, and smiled gently, “I’m good Felicity, thank you.”

“Okay,” she said, then turned and scurried down the hall.

As Oliver stood in the middle of Felicity’s living room, he looked around the room, and as he did so, he realized just how much there was, though he’d always suspected it, to the person of Felicity Smoak. There was an entertainment center against one wall, with Blu-Ray cases all around it, he leaned over to look at the titles. She had a dozen or so cases that said, Dr. Who, huh…that sounded vaguely familiar, and another one called Red Dwarf, he definitely didn’t know that one; what seemed to be the entire Marvel movie collection, well, she had to make some bad choices, and then individual movies, The Princess Bride, something called Zathura? Oh, and then the Star Wars and Harry Potter movies, he’d seen a couple of those. 

The other wall was covered entirely with bookcases. On the shelves were lots of textbooks, with titles on them that he couldn’t begin to understand, random novels, oh and the entire Harry Potter collection, alongside a lot of books by someone named Kim Stanley Robinson. But more interesting to him, were the pictures of Felicity interspersed throughout the shelves; there was one of her in a graduation gown, her arms around two other girls; pictures of Felicity with a slightly older blonde woman, who with those eyes, and that mouth…had to be her mom, though they certainly had different fashion tastes, as no matter the setting, the woman seemed to be wearing some sort of cocktail dress. But then pictures of Felicity as she was growing up, braces, darker hair (wow, she must dye it), always in glasses…he noted that there was that big sweet smile on her face, but then there was one when she looked to be about ten, and her expression changed. She would smile, but it was smaller and closed looking, and her eyes looked sad, the joy gone, and it didn’t return until the one of her graduation; wonder what happened to change her so. He heard a sound behind him and turned to see Felicity had come back in the room, still in her pj’s but she’d brushed her hair, and oh thank God (for the sake of his sanity) seemed to have put on a bra.

Felicity stopped at the edge of the living room, trying to take in the sight before her of Oliver Queen standing there looking at her bookcase. She was having some sort of cognitive dissonance moment, as her brain tried to process an image she’d never in her wildest dreams, thought she’d ever see.

Plus, had the room ALWAYS been that small? Or was it just that she’d never seen a giant human standing in it before?

“Hey.” She said timidly.

Oliver smiled softly back at her, “Hey.”

“What did you want to talk to me about Oliver?” She gestured toward the couch. 

He nodded and went to sit on the opposite end from where she was, as she sat down and curled her legs up under her.

Wow, Oliver thought as he sat down, this couch is really comfortable, it was all he could do not to slump into it and fall asleep.

“Well, actually…Thea. I’m trying to figure out what to say to her about Roy.”

“Oh yeah…hmmm, well that is tricky.”

“I mean clearly, this guy is bad news, and I can’t allow her…”

Felicity threw up her hand in a stop motion, “Can’t allow her Oliver? What are you, Don Queen?”

Oliver looked confused a minute, oh right, he thought…Tommy had always loved those Godfather movies for some reason and would make Oliver sit through them on those weekends when they weren’t doing…other things. Oliver had always fallen asleep; the irony was not lost on him that a drama about the intricacies and machinations of a powerful family empire, bored him to death.

“Well, no…but she’s only 19, and she doesn’t have a father, and…I can’t let anything happen to her Felicity!”

“I get that Oliver,” Felicity replied softly. “But you aren’t going to get anywhere with this if you start out by saying, ‘I can’t allow.’”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Okay, I don’t have any siblings, and…” Her face saddened a bit, “I don’t have a father, but I was a teenage girl. And I know the types of language that I did not respond well to…and ‘not allow,’ was one of the key phrases, also… ‘I forbid you,’ and ‘Not as long as I am alive.’ That was always my personal favorite.”

“Well then?”

“I suspect that Thea is, like her brother,” Felicity smiled warmly, “very smart. I also get the impression, not that I know her of course, that she is also a bit stubborn as well as a bit rebellious.”

“Well so far you are describing yourself.” Oliver grinned cheekily.

“Hey!” Felicity threw a pillow at him, which he caught easily without even looking at it. She continued. “I’m just saying, if you start with No, she is likely going to go out and do exactly what you tell her not to do.”

“I get that Felicity, but we’re not talking about wanting to keep her away from some guy who broke curfew or got busted for underage drinking or something. This is a guy who has a record for assault, not to mention…he’s trying to be a freaking vigilante!”

“That…hmmm…” She replied cryptically.

Oliver could see her brow furrowing, which he knew to be her, ‘I’m-thinking-heavy-big-thoughts-just-hold-on-and-I’ll-come-out-with-something-brilliant-face.’

“Yes, he’s trying to be a vigilante, but isn’t that a good thing?” She could see Oliver start to wind up to yell, “Don’t we know someone else trying to be a vigilante who is doing so because he wants to do very good things? Hmmmm?” She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?”

“Because…because…” Oliver fumbled, “It’s just different, and dangerous, and I don’t want that kind of danger around my sister!”

“I realize that Oliver, all I’m trying to say is this guy and what he’s trying to do, which seems to be directed at helping women, seems like he could have a really good heart. Probably far better than the frat-boy party type trust fund kind…No offense…” She looked at him.

Oliver grimaced slightly, and said, “None taken.”

“…she might normally be dating.”

He sat there a minute looking thoughtful, as he processed what she had said.

“But, what about the assault record? And it’s still dangerous, and I am worried about Thea’s safety.”

“Well, the first issue, I have a suspicion about that, let me do a bit more research, and I could have an answer for you regarding the assaults. And yes, I agree with the second, but it seems like he’s kind of been pulling back from her a bit, so it could be that he himself is aware of that, and we will have to give that some thought, though…in typical guy fashion…he has, unilaterally, without any thought that maybe he should have talked to Thea first, and given her the option of what she wanted to do, pushed her away….” Oliver had a strange feeling that they were no longer talking about Roy and Thea, and as she said this he looked up at her and their eyes locked. 

“Well maybe he wanted to include her in that decision, but didn’t know if he could, if it was the right time…or, if she actually cared enough to be involved in that kind of decision.”

Felicity sat looking at him and then said, “Oh I think she cared. She just might be unsure as to how welcome her opinion would be, if she was really that important to him.”

“She’s important to him.” Oliver’s eyes darkened a bit, and he began to lean toward her, when suddenly Felicity’s phone buzzed. They sat looking at one another for a moment longer, when Felicity closed her eyes, and then glanced down at her phone.

“Oh darn, it’s my mother. She never seems to think about how late it is when she calls, since she lives on strip time, I mean, Vegas strip…Not that my mother’s a stripper…she’s actually a blackjack dealer/cocktail waitress, she used to just be a waitress, but then she taught herself blackjack, so she could make more money, she’s really good at teaching herself things, but…She always calls so…”

Oliver laid his hand across Felicity’s lips, smiling as he did so. “It’s okay Felicity. Answer your mother, I need to get going.” He then slowly moved his hand away.

The phone buzzed again, and Felicity nodded at him, trying not to think about how his warm and calloused fingers had felt against her lips.

“Hi Mom….” She looked up at him as Oliver nodded back and made his way silently to the door. “…No, I’m awake, but I really should have been asleep, so I’m…”

Felicity stood up and followed him to the door, holding her hand over the phone, she whispered, “Are you good?”

Oliver smiled and answered softly, “I’m good. Thank you Felicity.”

She smiled at him and went to close the door.

Oliver popped his head around the door once more, and mouthed, “Lock up!”

Felicity rolled her eyes at him and shut the door.

Oliver stood outside a moment waiting to hear the lock click, “Yeah mom, work’s fine…No, Mr. Queen…”

And instead of standing there eavesdropping, as he really wanted to do, he headed to the steps, out into the rain…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided that I wanted to tease out a bit more the idea that while Oliver was really bad at communication, he would talk to Felicity, when he wouldn’t talk to anyone else, though not necessarily about himself or their relationship. Also…I have always wanted to see more time with Oliver and Felicity not in the Arrow Cave, particularly seeing time they would spend together in her apartment; the idea that it was safe, and as normal a space as Oliver could ever be in, and be able to relax more fully than anywhere else. We saw that one little tease of Felicity’s apartment (I think that was it) and we never really got to see any of the two of them there, away from the Foundry, or the office, in a space that was just theirs.


	8. So You Didn't MEAN to Ruin My Life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all - a bit longer to post this, I'm needing to smooth out a few of the upcoming chapters more than I had anticipated, but - just to remind, you, they are all written, and will all show up.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who is reading this fic, I can't tell you how happy it makes me.
> 
> This one takes a bit of a different direction, a wee bit more serious, but some necessary conversations. 
> 
> Make sure you read the note at the end. 
> 
> So thanks again, and Enjoy!

Chapter 8 – So you didn’t MEAN to ruin my life?

As Oliver walked toward the mansion, after parking his car, he felt his phone buzzing, seeing it was Felicity, he answered without hesitation.

“Felicity, are you okay” He asked anxiously.

“Yes, everything’s fine, I just…” And Felicity paused and if silence could feel awkward on a phone, it did here.

“You just what?”

“I just wanted to say, or rather say again, please don’t be too hard on Moira…”

Oliver could feel his teeth clenching, he’d been so happy and comfortable while at Felicity’s, that mood had kept him buoyant all the way home, so that he’d temporarily forgotten about Moira’s offense.

“…She was just trying to keep her daughter safe. She loves you and Thea so much; I think she would just do anything to do so.”

Oliver again marveled at the remarkable kindness and generosity of Felicity Smoak. And while her intentions were the best, and she was trying to help Moira, these very qualities only served to make him angrier, that Moira dared to threaten this amazing woman.

“Felicity, I can’t make any promises. I won’t stand for her hurting you. It’s unacceptable.”

“Please just try Oliver…for me?” She asked timidly.

He stood there a minute in the drizzle, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, as he could feel the tension build between his eyes. Then he sighed, and knew that he would do anything for Felicity, including tempering his anger while he spoke with Moira…that is, to a point.

“Felicity, I’ll try…but, I have to say something. I can’t let this pass.”

“I understand but thank you for trying.”

“Sure.”

“See you tomorrow Oliver?”

He hated that there was an unsure quality in her voice, particularly when he thought about the confident feisty voice that had demanded that he try to be respectful when he spoke to Thea.

“Absolutely, see you tomorrow.” Injecting as much warmth into his voice as he could he said, “And thank you again Felicity.”

“Of course. Good Night.”

“Night.”

Oliver ended the call, and then headed into the mansion. He heard soft music coming from the living room, he knew who it would be. While his mother didn’t keep the hours he did, obviously, he knew she could be a bit of a night owl, and would often sit up reading, or working, or…planning world domination. He was exhausted, and really wanted to go to bed but he knew he wouldn’t be able to quiet his brain down enough to actually sleep, never mind calm his anger, so he might as well face this head on. He walked into the room where he saw his mother in a rarely seen comfortable state of dress, a silk robe, slippers, and no makeup.

“Oliver? I didn’t hear you come in... where have you been at this hour?”

It was because of his hard-won skill for stealthy movement, that his mother was unaware that he came in this late, and later, with regularity. He could have reeled off some half-formed lie, but he was too tired and too angry to do so.

“Out.” He said tersely.

“Oh. Would you like to join me? Have a nightcap?”

He didn’t reply, just nodded and went to the drinks cart to pour himself a sizable shot of Macallan. He then went and sat down in the chair that was opposite to the couch where Moira had spread about her piles of papers.

Oliver knew he should approach this in a nuanced and diplomatic manner, but he just didn’t have it in him to do so.

“Why did you threaten Felicity Smoak?”

The shock that registered on Moira’s face showed that he had caught her completely off guard, which had been his intention.

“What…what are you talking about Oliver. Miss Smoak? I hardly know the woman. Why would I threaten her?”

“I don’t know mom, why would you threaten her? Why would you feel it necessary to keep me from knowing you had asked her to do a background check on Roy Harper?” 

Moira had gathered herself together in some small measure. Oliver hadn’t learned all his skills for controlling his emotions in his time away.

“Well clearly, Miss Smoak is not to be trusted. I asked her to do something for me in confidence, and she failed to do so.” She said as she tried to turn this back on Felicity, which only made him angrier.

“No, Mother, what is clear is that Miss Smoak has demonstrated her absolute loyalty to the person who should be receiving it, the CEO of Queen consolidated, which is of the utmost importance…or had you not considered that?”

Moira looked a bit cowed at that, the success of the company, and in turn her son, was vastly important to her. But then she regrouped.

“That just proves my point Oliver, I asked her to keep this private because I was trying to protect you…to keep petty concerns away from you so you could focus on more vital things. And it seems Miss Smoak is utterly incapable of following the simplest instructions, nor is she capable of managing something on her own, without having to run to you for help.”

Oliver was about to break his promise to Felicity as he wasn’t sure when he’d ever been as livid, except maybe when he’d seen the Count touching her, or even perhaps when that low life in the garage had his hands on her.

“First of all, Mother, she didn’t come ‘running to me,’ I found out quite by accident, and even when I asked her about it, she tried to deny any knowledge of your request, AND THREAT, and only with great reluctance did she own up to it.

Secondly, do you even know how vastly overqualified Felicity is for the job of Executive Assistant? She has Master’s degrees from MIT in Computer Science and Cyber Security. She’s an actual genius. Do you think she wanted to be Executive Assistant to a barely competent former playboy CEO? She could have any job she wants, at ten times her current salary, with one phone call. She only took this job as a favor to me, when I explained that this would be a very new and unfamiliar challenge for me and that I desperately needed someone with her intelligence and skills, AND LOYALTY, to help me meet it.

And thirdly, ever since I learned that you had THREATENED her, and she saw how angry that had made me...she has been trying to protect you.”

Moira looked up, clearly confused at what Oliver was saying with this last.

“Protect me?”

“Yes, mom, protect you…because that is the kind of person Felicity is, she is not only a genius, an actual certified genius, she is kind, and generous, and…” And here Oliver’s words trailed off as he realized he may have said more than he intended to say.

Moira sat there studying him, she hadn’t intended to make Oliver so angry, she couldn’t have imagined that he would care who his assistant was, as long as she was competent, or he was sleeping with her, something about which she was now unsure. She was in fact, rethinking the veracity of the information she had gathered from an inside source at QC, regarding the nature of Oliver and Miss Smoak’s relationship. Clearly, she had misjudged the situation, and perhaps she had misjudged Miss Smoak as well. 

She was suddenly exhausted. After the last year, she was so tired of being estranged from her children, she really was…and everything she did, or had done, was intended to protect them, including her recent involvement with Miss Smoak, both wanting to research Thea’s boyfriend, as well as keep Oliver from being bothered. She now realized that not only had she perhaps made the wrong choice here, but that…she had somehow missed the moment when Oliver had become the person before her, this mature, responsible, capable man. He had been so distant since he had returned from the island, she had tried to reach out to him, but he’d continued to keep her at arm’s length, even before the Undertaking. He had been charming, and the same sweet boy he had always been, but he’d also been guarded and hidden behind a wall that she could not breach. And so, she had done this thing, only instead of protecting him, she had made the mistake of assuming he was the same careless boy he’d been before he went away. She had underestimated him, and perhaps damaged their relationship even further, which had truly not been her intention.

“Oliver, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know all of that about Miss Smoak, I knew you had talked about her computer skills, but I didn’t know the extent of her gifts. And I am terribly sorry I kept this from you, I never intended to upset you. Please forgive me.”

Oliver looked at his mother, and saw that for once, she’d let her cool façade melt away, was she really contrite? She’d shown such an ability for duplicity, he just didn’t know anymore. But…he heard Felicity’s voice in his head, as he often did, urging him to try to be understanding. 

Oliver relaxed his shoulders a bit and said, not unkindly, “Mother, I want to believe you are truly sorry, but…” his voice trailed off, the unspoken words hanging over them.

“I understand Oliver, and I know I deserve your distrust. Please, just…consider forgiving me.”

Moira came the closest to pleading, he’d ever heard her sound.

Oliver didn’t say anything, but instead gave her a short nod.

Moira sat there a moment, staring into the fire, going over the conversation in her head, and she realized that his impassioned defense of Miss Smoak was the most emotion she’d seen from him since he’d left on that damn boat. Particularly toward the end of his speech when he’d spoken of her personal qualities; perhaps there was there something more going on there. She didn’t dare ask right now and risk the tentative truce between them.

Oliver spoke, “So what prompted you to have Felicity look into Roy Harper?”

She realized that he was trying to reach out to her, and she was more than willing to meet him halfway. “Because I have never known Thea to feel so strongly about any boy before this, and before she went too far…I wanted to know more about him, particularly since the little I do know about him, that’s he’s a bit older, not in college, and is from the Glades, is concerning.”

“Hmmm…,” was all Oliver replied.

“Do you know more about him? Has Miss Smoak…” She said her name carefully, “…learned anything?”

“A bit.”

“Do you want to share it?”

“Not yet…” He saw that Moira took this as a rebuff when her shoulders slumped. “Not because I am trying to push you away, I just want to do a bit more research before I share anything.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“No…why don’t you let me deal with this, okay?”

Moira hesitated, then nodded, “All right.”

“I’m beat, I’ll you see in the morning.” 

“Good night Oliver. And again, I am sorry.”

Oliver just nodded again, and after hesitating a moment, learned over, and kissed her on the cheek, then turned and bounded up the stairs.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Oliver headed down the stairs barefoot, and weary, wearing just jeans and a sweater. He’d not slept terribly well, not unsurprisingly, his mind still restless after the late-night conversations with Moira. He was trying to put all the pieces together in his head, hoping to understand why his mother had done what she’d done, and also if she’d truly grasped why her actions were so wrong. Also, he was still trying to figure out what to say to Thea. On the one hand, he wanted to wait until Felicity had finished whatever research she was doing, but on the other hand, he felt there was some urgency to the situation as regarded Thea’s safety. Speaking of the little brown-haired devil….

“Hey Speedy.”

Thea was in her usual spot at the table, wearing purple plaid pajamas, with her hair still rumpled from sleep. Oliver loved seeing her like this, he had missed her so much when he was away, his whip smart, irreverent, pretty, baby sister.

“Hey.” Thea rasped with a creaky voice.

“So, I’d ask if you had a late night, but I know for a fact you were home before me…”

“Really Ollie, that’s not particularly difficult, given the late hours you seem to keep.” As she said this Thea gave him a knowing look over her coffee cup as she sipped it, giving him a single raised eyebrow that was personally familiar….it was something they’d both gotten from their mother, who had been known to use it to reduce to tears, any person who failed to carry out in a timely manner, any command she had issued. 

Oliver froze a moment though, wondering if Thea somehow knew about his after-hours job. She was incredibly sharp, and often saw things no one else did. He also knew that while she carried off the ‘party-girl-not-a-care-in-the-world’ role, seeming never to think about what she said or did, he knew she also kept a lot in and often wore a mask, though not as practiced as his of course, to keep people at arm’s length when she wanted them there. 

“So, you seem to be having a lot of early nights these days, grumpy morning face notwithstanding.”

A piece of croissant came flying in his direction, that he of course fielded with ease…so easily that he saw Thea squinting a bit and looking at his hand in a thoughtful manner.

“Nice catch Ollie, taken up catching for the pros or something?”

“Whatever Speedy.”

“Yeah well, when your love life’s on the fritz, there’s not a lot of reason to go out.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

“I told you Ollie, this is different.” Thea slumped in her chair, arms folded across her chest.

“I know, I know…I’m sorry.” Oliver smiled at her, “So how did you meet this guy, Roy?”

“Well, the night the Glades, you know, was crashed into the earth by our Mother…” she paused as they gave each other a grimace, “…I was down at CNRI, with Laurel trying to help people who had been hit, this was before we knew Tommy was in trouble. This guy came running up to us frantically because he couldn’t find his mom. Apparently, he’d been at…work,” And here, Thea’s eyes looked quickly left, which meant she was lying, as he well knew from his vast experience with interrogations, “And he had rushed home when everything happened…only to find their apartment building turned into rubble. So we directed him to Emergency Services…and I lost track of him after that, but later…he made a point of tracking me down to thank me for helping, even though it had been for nothing since it turned out his mother had been killed. After that night we just started talking and hanging out.”

“I’m sorry to hear about his mom, does he have any other family?” Oliver is stunned at how much Thea is sharing about Roy, she was usually either completely closed mouth, or completely offhand, about guys. This was different.

“No, it was just him and his mom, his dad left when he was little. He’s really a good guy Ollie, and I’m just really confused as to why he’s ghosted me.”

Oliver raised his eyebrow, “Ghosted?” he hadn’t heard this one before.

Thea rolled her eyes at him, “You know disappeared...ignoring me? Catch up Ollie.”

“Ahhh.”

“So, I don’t know what to do, and I’m really worried about him.”

“Why? Is there some reason to be worried?”

The wall suddenly came down over Thea’s face.

“I’m just worried Ollie, Okay?!?...I gotta go.”

And with that she hopped up from the table, to rush up the stairs, and Oliver realized he’d missed his chance to actually give her any warnings. He had managed, however, to learn more about this Roy/the Red Hood vigilante.

\------------------------------------------------

“So big bad vigilante brother didn’t get to throw down the law to baby sister huh?” Felicity asked with a twinkle in her eye, after Oliver had described his conversation with Thea.

“Funny.” Oliver responded in his usual deadpan manner.

“Well, I already knew his mom had died, she was found under the rubble, D.O.A…. but the thing Thea said to you about being a good guy, supports my opinion, and some of the other things I’ve learned about him.”

“What have you learned?”

“Well sadly, his mom was an addict, she’d been busted several times, most recently for possession of Vertigo. The assaults that Roy was arrested for, were actually when he was defending his mom against some of her dealers, and unfortunately he was always the only man left standing when the police would arrive on the scene….” She watched Oliver take this in, with a thoughtful look on his face. Felicity knew he was thinking about Roy’s athleticism when he’d encountered him.

“And the “work,” Thea referred to, was actually him providing muscle for some of the other dealers, to keep them from getting rough with his mom.”

“So…his mom died, he doesn’t have her to defend any longer, and instead of continuing down the life of crime, he changes lanes, and starts being the white knight for defenseless women.”

“That about sums it up. So…Roy’s back story isn’t exactly what it appears to be on the surface.”

“Hmmppf,” was all Oliver would volunteer.

“So, what do you want to do about Thea?”

“I’m not sure…regardless of his motives, what he’s doing is still dangerous, and proximity to Thea would, most likely, inadvertently put her in danger.”

Felicity nodded, and then just sat thinking and looking at Oliver. They were down in the lair by themselves, things continued to be quiet with Nick Night, so Oliver had told John to take the night off. Felicity had wanted to do some updates on her system, and Oliver had decided that he needed to work on some Arrows, which was what he was telling himself, and not paying attention to the voice in his head that said he really just couldn’t stand to be away from Felicity if he could help it.

“So…,” Oliver began, his face coloring a bit, “I talked to Moira.”

“Oh.” Felicity just nodded, “Um…what did you say, or rather…what did she say?”

“Well, I told her how wrong she was,” He hesitated, “I tried to keep things under control…”

Felicity raised her eyebrow.

“There may have been a few loud words…”

“Oliver, you promised.”

“I know, and I mainly kept my word…But I’m sorry, I’m not going to stand for her threatening you.” His voice had gotten growly by the end of the sentence.

“Hey! Arrow Boy, take it down a notch.”

Oliver looked a bit sheepish, “Sorry.”

“Well, what did she say?”

“She tried to defend herself…”

“Defend herself?!? How on earth could she defend herself from threatening me?”

“She...,” he started to speak, but stopped, then continued saying, “It’s not important. The point is I called her on it and well, I think she’s really sorry.”

“Seriously?” Felicity asked with an incredulous tone.

“Seriously. I don’t know, I think it dawned on her that she was running out of chances with me. I mean, I think she’s still Moira, but…I do think that Thea and I really are important to her, and she’s realized she can’t keep doing these things that push us away, no matter if her intentions are good.”

“I did say that Oliver, I do think Moira will do anything for you and Thea. I just don’t want to be cannon fodder in her battles to protect you both.”

“No, and I made that abundantly clear to her.”

“Good…Wait, how abundantly clear? What exactly did you make clear?”

Oliver looked down and away, knowing as he did so that this was his personal tell, a tic that revealed that he wasn’t telling the whole truth, and it exasperated him that this happened since in every other situation, with every other person…he could completely control it, just never with Felicity. “I just…I just made clear what a good person you are, and how valuable you are to me…to the company.”

Felicity just sat there a minute looking at Oliver with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out what he’d actually said, because that definitely wasn’t the whole truth.

He looked up and while any expression had been wiped from his face…his eyes were another story.

They sat there a minute more, their gazes locked, until Felicity felt the silence begin to weigh on her…she cleared her throat and said, “Now, about Roy…what if we could redirect his efforts…maybe channel his mission in a more regulated direction” She paused, and Oliver knew she was about to come up with something unexpected and that he wouldn’t necessarily have thought about, but that may or may not be within his comfort zone.

“What direction are you thinking?”

“Well, two things. First, we could bring him onto Team Arrow…”

“We are totally NOT calling it that…”

“…since he seems to have the skills,” Felicity continued without missing a beat, “…but more importantly than skills, he has a good head and heart. Second, you’ve mentioned that you and Moira are at your wit’s end about what to do with Thea, and that she’s been dying to reopen the club…”

“Um, yes,” Oliver had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the second idea any better than he liked the first one.

“…so tell Thea she can open the club, but only if she hires Roy to work here as a bouncer? Security? A Manager? that way, you can A. Keep an eye on him. B. give him a plausible reason to be hanging around here, i.e., the Arrow Cave…” She saw Oliver make a face again at her calling it the Arrow Cave, “…and C. Have someone to help and keep an eye on Thea, so that she doesn’t get in over her head.”

Oliver sat there looking at Felicity, feeling conflicted…he didn’t know that he agreed, with any of her ideas, even though there may be a certain logic to them, but…damn, if he wasn’t once again, absolutely blown away by her brain. She was so out of his league; Moira had no idea.

“What do you think?” Felicity asked expectantly.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know why you think we need to bring anyone else on to the team, and…we don’t actually know this guy. And do I want to actually encourage MORE proximity to Thea? I thought the goal was to get her away from this guy?”

“No, that is your goal Oliver. That is what you think is best for Thea, not what she might think is best for herself, or what truly is best. The goal should be for a way for Thea to live the life she chooses, that will make her happy, and that will help her to grow up, but even more importantly allow her simply to grow. And this may be a way for her to do all those things and keep her safe. I also am a fan of whatever measures we can take to increase the safety of you and John, and I think adding another person to the team, particularly if you were to train him, could help with that.”

He hadn’t responded to her and had instead been staring blankly at her for several minutes, when she said, “Well, I’ll leave you to ponder my wise words,” she winked at him, “I’m beat. See you tomorrow?”

He just nodded at her, still a bit off his axis as he was trying to process how much in awe of her brain he was, as well as her smile, her spirit, her…and then he made his train of thought stop there before it got away from him.

“Oliver?”

“Yes, oh…right, see you tomorrow. Oh, are you okay getting home?”

She nodded at him, smiled, and patted him on the shoulder as she passed by.

He watched her walk up the stairs of the lair and thought to himself…he was in so much trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a word about Moira…I have always thought that Moira was granted the ultimate redemption when she put herself in harms way to save her children from Slade. But if that hadn’t happened, I think Oliver would have, while continuing to be disappointed in her, ultimately forgiven her, because he was just that forgiving, particularly given how badly thinks of himself, and because he loves his family, passionately. So, with that…I’ve chosen to have Moira’s redemption, unfold in a less dramatic way, over the course of events and conversations and time. Because I really thought it would have been interesting to see where Moira and Oliver’s relationship went, and how Moira dealt with Felicity, and vice versa, over time. Thanks again for reading.


	9. It's Not Stalking if It's Low Carb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...next installment for you. Thank you once again, so very much, to everyone who is reading, and kudo-ing (is that a word? I can't believe I'm over 100 kudos!) and leaving reviews. It means the world to me.
> 
> Back to a bit of lightness here...
> 
> Just an FYI - the chapter that follows this one, may take a bit longer to get out to you. I'm struggling a little with some of the edits. And as you will see at the end of the one being posted today, it is a very important chapter, and I want to make sure I get it right.
> 
> Anyway, Thank you again - and please enjoy!

Chapter Nine – It’s Not Stalking if It’s Low Carb

Felicity felt a flash of irritation when her phone buzzed on the desk next to her computer, “Frack!” She was just getting a handle on the problem with her modem and really didn’t want to stop what she was doing.

It buzzed again and as Oliver had yet to make it in, she needed to check it.

“Hello?”

“Felicity.”

“Yes?”

“This is Jeremy Nacht.”

When he said this Felicity was under her desk fiddling with one of her cables. Hearing the name, she jumped up quickly and hit her head on the underside of the desk. Instead of trying to get up and sit in her chair like a normal person, she just leaned against the inner wall of her desk, her eyes closed and her hand on her head.

“Felicity are you all right? I heard a bang,” Jeremy asked with a concerned voice.

“What? NO, I’m…yes, I’m fine. I just, er…dropped a book.”

“Oh, okay. Listen, the reason I’m calling is, things ended rather abruptly the other evening, and I feel like we really didn’t get to talk so I was wondering if you were free for lunch today. I know it’s short notice, so I understand if you aren’t available.”

Conflicted feelings washed over as she listened to Jeremy talk. On the one hand, Hello? Hot nice billionaire, asking her out for a second date, even after she’d completely flaked out on him on the first. But on the other hand, well…it still felt wrong. There still wasn’t anything going on between her and Oliver, but…it seemed like in the last couple of days, things had shifted…but, had they? They’d had that nice conversation when she came to her apartment, wow…still trying to get her head around seeing Oliver in her living room, and it seemed, just for a moment, like they were about to kiss? Before her mother had called and interrupted, but the more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself she had imagined it. And after that…he still hadn’t, nor had she to be honest, taken any concrete step toward…anything…

“Felicity, I’m sensing hesitation, am I inviting you too late? Because if you can’t, we can certainly do this another time, lunch? Dinner? Skateboarding?”

Felicity laughed at this last…but still didn’t know how to answer.

“Look, if your hesitation stems from some sort of uncertainty or wariness over dating me…well, let’s just take it slowly…Would it be better if I said we could just meet as friends? Just, share a meal?”

Good Lord Felicity, pull yourself together. You can’t just sit around waiting for the much broodier CEO that was in her life to make a move; what did she say to him the other night, she had to live her life? So…, she told herself, live it.

“Or not….it’s ok, I…”

“Yes!”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes Jeremy, I would love to have lunch with you.”

“Great!” He suggested a small café that was near Queen Consolidated, it was a half sit down, half take away place that had really great food. She, Oliver, and John often ate there. She felt a small qualm in her stomach thinking about that…but then thought no, I’m happy he has good taste, and wasn’t taking her to somewhere showy where people went to be “seen.”

They said their goodbyes, and Felicity was still sitting there thinking a moment later when…

“Felicity? Um, whatcha doin’?”

Well crap, this was embarrassing, she realized then that even though she was hidden from sight, her bright blue strappy heels were sticking out from under the desk visible to anyone who walked into the CEO’s office suite. Okay, she thought, let’s try to regain some dignity here, and was trying to formulate a plan for a graceful extrication from her current situation, when suddenly Oliver leaned over and stuck his head under the desk.

“Hi.” Oliver said in cheerful greeting, as he then crouched down behind her desk.

“Hi.” Felicity replied, feeling the tell-tale blush creep into her face. 

“Can I help you with something?” As Oliver said this, she saw he was struggling mightily, and failing, to keep from grinning.

“Um no, I have everything under control thank you.” She replied politely.

“Okay…do you wanna come out then?”

“Yes, I believe I’m done here…I will be with you shortly.” The last thing Felicity wanted was Oliver watching what was sure to be an ungraceful exit from underneath her desk.

“Fine…when it’s convenient, can you join me in my office?”

“Of course.”

Oliver’s head, with it’s beautiful face, disappeared. Felicity allowed herself a moment to bury her face in her hands as she fought back a wave of sheer mortification.

She gathered herself together, got up, and sat a moment at her desk with her back to Oliver as she set about trying to compose herself. Once she had, she headed into Oliver’s office, he was scrolling through his calendar for the day, and making notes of things he wanted to ask her about. Oliver didn’t have the right qualifications to be a CEO, but no one could say he wasn’t trying as hard as he could to do right by his position, particularly if one thought about how many obligations were pulling at him every hour of the day and night.

He looked up and smiled at her, and they dove into the day’s agenda, and then she updated him as to where she was on some of the new initiatives they were putting into motion at QC….

They got through the morning’s meetings and then Felicity looked at her phone and realized she really needed to get going if she was going to make her lunch date.

She waited until Oliver was done speaking to the head of their Berlin office, then cleared her throat and said, “Oliver, I need to head out for a bit.”

“Oh, okay…where?” He wasn’t trying to be nosy, but it was an instinctual need of his always to know her whereabouts in terms of her safety and any potential threats to it. Felicity knew this and tried not to fuss too much when he would ask her something like this. This just happened to be one of those times that she wished he could step back and temper his concern just a bit.

“I…um…I’m meeting someone for lunch.”

“What, like a date?”

“Well yes, a date.”

His face did that thing it did when something had been done or said that he didn’t like, and he was trying to hide his feelings. But she had seen this happen too often, not to know what he was doing.

“With Nacht?”

“Yes.”

Oliver looked down at his desk as he nodded his head slowly. He suddenly became fascinated with the pen he’d been using.

Felicity stood there a few seconds more and then said, “I’ll see you this afternoon, okay Oliver?”

Oliver nodded, still not looking at her…

“Oliver?”

Oliver raised his head and straight at her, and without flinching said in a voice devoid of all emotion, “Sure.” He gave her a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Felicity nodded and then walked out the door. He saw her pass Diggle and greeted him as she headed for the elevators.

Diggle walked in the door, “Hey you want to grab some lunch?”

Oliver was looking back down at his desk and didn’t answer.

“Oliver?” He tried again. “Hey, where’s Felicity going?”

Oliver looked up, sorrow in his eyes.

“She had a lunch date.”

Diggle understood now, “With Nacht, right?”

“Mmmhmm.”

John sighed, wanting simultaneously to give Oliver a hug and to smack him on top of the head.

“Why didn’t you stop her?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Oliver man, really?” The head smacking was definitely looking like the more appealing option.

“What on earth would I say John?”

“Um for starters, you could tell her how you feel about her.”

“I did.”

“What the whole protectiveness B.S.? Please. That is not what I’m talking about.”

“Yeah, well I do feel protective over her, sometimes so much I think I won’t be satisfied until I’ve got her under 24-hour surveillance with you as HER personal bodyguard.”

“Oliver, that is NOT about feeling protective…and I’m pretty sure you know that.”

“So, what if I do, it’s not like anything can come of it…it’s not safe, and besides…she’s all into Jeremy Nacht.”

John stared at Oliver and thought about how it was taking every ounce of restraint he had not to slap him silly. But likely he’d be able to deflect the slap before it ever made contact, thus the point he wanted to make would be lost.

“First of all, Felicity is safest when she is with you, in spite of what you keep trying to tell yourself. And quite frankly, so are you. When she’s not with you, when you are worried about where she is, who she’s with, or what might happen to her, you are distracted, which only creates danger for you, and since I’m the guy standing next to you, for me. No one can protect Felicity better than you can, and the two of you realizing that you need to be together, is the only way that you can ensure that she is as safe as possible. Second, she is NOT all into Jeremy Nacht, and saying that makes you sound like a thirteen old girl talking about some boy band.”

“I am not a thirteen old girl.”

“Do you want to me to give her a note saying, ‘Who do you like best, ‘Jeremy the Billionaire’ or ‘Oliver the Billionaire,’ check one.”

Oliver gave John a small smile at that.

“If she’s not into Jeremy Nacht, then why does she keep going on dates with him?”

John just looks at Oliver, like he can’t believe he’s that stupid.

“Because she doesn’t know what else to do. She’s a beautiful, brilliant, amazing girl in her twenties, who spends every waking minute in the company of two very cynical…,” here Digg raised an eyebrow at Oliver, who nodded at him, “…ex assassins, helping them chase after the dregs of human society. Of COURSE, she’d like to go out once in a while, with someone who actually ASKS her on a date, and be charmed and adored, and have a chance to actually think about something different, that doesn’t involve guns and arrows, and to think about herself for a change.”

“I can think about other things,” Oliver said.

“Well, she doesn’t know that. She pretty much thinks that yes, you think she’s great, yes you value her, and yes, you want to keep her safe…and that’s it.”

“Well how do I know she even has feelings for me.”

“Don’t be stupid Oliver.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Okay, first, you’ve seen you right? And two, you’ve been on a date before, right?”

“Well, not exactly.”

“What do you mean, not exactly?”

“Well…there was Laurel, who I’ve known since I was a kid, Sara…well, that was a whole different thing, then there was the Island, there was Helena…who was a genuine psycho and the only actual date we were ever on was arranged by her mob father, and well…nothing else that really mattered. And there were a lot of… ‘not dates’…” Oliver looked at bit sad at this admission. “Those weren’t even about me, not really…they were about my looks and everything that came with me.” Oliver knew it would have been willfully obtuse for him not realize what he looked like, but these days he could care less, and in the old days, he’d only cared about using his face as a tool to get as many girls as possible to go home with him. 

“Well, your romantic history has been a bit bizarre, but you aren’t that guy anymore…you’re not even the guy who tried to save Helena the crazy, you are different.”

“No, I’m worse.”

Diggle stood there a minute and knew exactly where this was going.

“Look, regardless of who you think you are or are not, or how terrible you think you are…you love that girl.” Oliver’s head jerked up and his eyebrows flew up. “Yes. I said it. You love her…and while I don’t know for sure, I’m pretty sure she’s got some strong feelings for you as well…so, figure it out.”

Oliver sat there a minute longer, and then said, “You know what, I am ready for lunch…and I know just what I want.”

John looked suspiciously at him but turned to follow him out the door.

\---------------------------------------------------

“Oliver, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

“What do you mean? You said you wanted lunch.”

“Stalking Felicity on her lunch date…Seriously? Now you’re channeling a fangirl who just found out this is where The Flash eats lunch, then shows up and stares at him through the window.”

“Hey, I’m just here to pick up some lunch, you know I love their Greek salad.”

Diggle just stared at Oliver for a minute, and then turned his head to look up at the menu posted on the wall. But then he noticed Oliver was leaning over so far that if he weren’t someone who could literally walk up the side of a building, he would have fallen over, as he strained to catch a glimpse of the corner table where Felicity and Nacht were sitting enjoying an intimate lunch.

“Oh, hey John, there’s Felicity. We should go say hello.” John started to say that no they should NOT go and interrupt Felicity while she was on her lunch date…but Oliver had already gotten out of line and was striding over in a very Oliver Queen/Arrow manner.

John really didn’t want to follow, but he was worried about the consequences if he wasn’t there to run interference, somebody might resort to violence, and it wasn’t going to be the two billionaires who were about to cross paths.

Felicity stopped mid-sentence what she was saying to Jeremy, her roast beef sandwich halfway to her mouth, when she saw Oliver approaching the table.

“Hi Felicity, I didn’t know you were coming here for lunch.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at Oliver.

“Uh huh. What are you doing here Oliver…Hi John.” 

John mouthed silently over Oliver’s shoulder, “This was not my idea.”

Jeremy stood up and stuck his hand out to Oliver, “Queen.”

“It’s so good to see you Jeremy.”

“You too.” Based on the expression on his face, it clearly was NOT good to see Oliver Queen.

Felicity looked like she wanted to start throwing spoons at Oliver’s head.

They all stood there awkwardly for a minute until John couldn’t stand it anymore. “Mr. Queen, we’d better get going. You asked me to remind you of your call with the Brazil office at 1:30 this afternoon.” And with a nod to Felicity and Nacht, he took Oliver by the arm, and only because Oliver decided he’d made his point, did he smile at them, say, “Enjoy your lunch,” and then allow John to pull him away.

They headed out the door. “Oliver, what exactly did that accomplish?”

“I made it clear to Nacht that he’s got competition.”

“No…what did it accomplish with Felicity?”

“Oh…um,” Oliver got a worried expression on his face as what he had just done hit him. “I’m not sure I thought that part all the way through.”

“No, I’m pretty sure you didn’t.”

“Do you think she’s mad?”

“At me, No. At you? Definitely…” John grinned, “….and I still haven’t gotten my lunch.”

“Fine, we’ll go swing by Big Belly Burger.”

“You’re buying me a triple with everything.”

\----------------------------------------

“What the Frack was that Oliver?!?!”

Oliver looked up at the really pretty, really angry little blonde woman striding into his office. Good Lord, he thinks he sees actual sparks coming off of her.

“Hi John.” She says pleasantly, making clear she knows who is responsible for their little escapade.

“What was what?” Oliver said, not looking at her...instead becoming fascinated by the papers he was shuffling around on his desk.

“You spying on me while I was having lunch…oh, and where is it?”

“Where is what?”

“The tracker.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Felicity,” Oliver continued not to make eye contact with her.

“Oliver, you continue to be spectacularly bad at lying to me. Where is the tracker you somehow attached to me?” Felicity was speaking very precisely.

Oliver sat there a moment, a pink blush blooming across his face…sensing defeat, he looked up, and said resignedly, “It’s under your coat collar.”

“When…how…?” Felicity sputtered, “Wait, I have more than one coat, how is it you happened to have tagged this particular one?”

“Oh, I tag them every day.” As the words left his mouth, Oliver realized, too late, that might not have been the brightest thing he ever said.

Felicity didn’t know whether to be furious, or to embrace the awe she has every time she thinks she knows all of Oliver’s capabilities; but then some new impossible skill, like being able to fly an airplane, would arise. Now she was learning that one of these unbeknownst to her skills was a very impressive sleight of hand; and as she had grown up in Vegas, she had seen the best of those who possessed this ability.

For the moment though, she’s going with the first option.

“John, would you mind giving Oliver and I some privacy please?” Felicity asks politely, never looking away from Oliver’s face, their eyes locked. 

“Of course.” John left with a look of great amusement on his face.

As John left, Felicity stood there trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to ask or say next to Oliver. She was angry, and she wasn’t quite ready to let go of that. She was also very confused, and…she reluctantly admitted, a tiny bit hurt. Hurt because she felt like Oliver was playing with her emotions, which didn’t seem very Oliver like. Because while he had always been unfailing polite to her, and kind as well, from the very beginning…on top of caring for her well being, there had never been any indication that he saw her as anything more than his partner in his work as the Arow, and because of that perhaps a kind of friendship? Maybe a comrade in arms? Like he felt about John. But ever since the benefit, specifically since the incident in the garage…he had been acting strangely. She had to admit, there have been moments in the last few days where things had felt like they could be changing; like coming to her apartment; but…that was to ask advice about Thea, and then also, some of his body language in the Lair. But still, there had never been anything remotely overt, that would indicate that he felt anything more than respect for her abilities, appreciation for her loyalty, and friendly affection, hence her confusion. 

She sighed, and in not her ‘Loud voice,’ she asked quietly.

“Oliver, what is going on?”

Oliver was thrown off balance by this, he had expected more yelling, but as usual, Felicity had upended his expectations, and also as usual, asked an honest and straight forward question. His first inclination was to go with his classic misdirection, and ask her ‘what do you mean? There’s nothing going on,’ But he held himself in check, took a deep breath and instead said,

“What’s going on is, I don’t like you going on dates with Jeremy Nacht.”

“With Jeremy? What’s wrong with him?”

“There’s nothing…” Oliver began, feeling flustered and really out of his depth. “it’s got nothing to do with Jeremy…it’s…it’s…I don’t want you going on dates with anyone!” By the end of this Oliver was yelling.

Felicity stepped back and her eyes got really big, as a look of astonishment stole over her face. She just stood there staring at him, in a rare moment of speechlessness.

Oliver continued to look at her and as he did so, his expression became unguarded, and just as he opened up his mouth to say something more, a beep came from both of their phones.

Felicity recovered quickly and looked down at hers.

“It’s time for your meeting with the head of the London office regarding the changes they are initiating due to Brexit.” She saw him start to speak, and because she knew him as she did, and therefore knew what he was about to say, stated, “And no…you can’t reschedule, he’s only here for one day.”

He nodded, and Felicity turned to go back to her desk to gather up what she needed for the meeting, still feeling confused, and upset.

“Felicity.”

She turned around and looked up at him.

“Would you like to have dinner this evening?”

Felicity stood a minute searching his face, trying to assess what he meant by this, and because of what she saw there, an open and trusting sincerity, with his “Felicity eyes,” she knew this was more than an offer to grab a Big Belly Burger before heading to the Lair. Not trusting her voice to speak, she simply nodded, smiled, and continued through the door that separated the two spaces. When she reached her desk, she looked down at her tablet for a moment and let out a deep sigh. She felt a tiny knot in the pit of her stomach, she didn’t even know was there, begin to unfurl…in the face of unexpected and unabashed hope.


	10. First Dates Can Be So Awkward…Especially When You’re a Vigilante Superhero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are...Thank you once again, so very much for reading this fic, thank you for your Kudos and Your comments, I am just so happy you're all here. 
> 
> Sorry this took a bit longer, but as I mentioned previously, I wanted to get it right. 
> 
> Just a note: I am keeping the rating at T, I don't think I need to change it quite yet but...fyi, Oliver's brain gets away from him a bit...
> 
> Please see the note at the end.
> 
> But for now I give you...The Date.
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Ten - First Dates Can Be So Awkward…Especially When You’re a Vigilante Superhero. 

Because Oliver had a bit of non-Nick Night Arrow business to tie up, Detective Lance had wanted to meet to discuss something, Felicity had told him she’d meet him at the restaurant. This arrangement was perfectly fine with her, she didn’t think she was quite ready for the whole come to the door, drive to the restaurant, first date build up …this all felt surreal enough without that. She was still trying to process everything that had happened that day, the lunch date, Oliver stalking her at lunch, his outburst and then, OH MY GOD OLIVER QUEEN HAD ASKED HER OUT, SHE WAS ON A DATE WITH OLIVER QUEEN!!

She set aside the fact that she had dates with two different billionaires in one day…her mother would be having a coronary if she knew, which was why she would not be telling Donna Smoak this any time soon. But Oliver…her heart was fluttering like crazy, she never imagined that this day would ever come…she had a crush on him for so long, really since the day he’d brought that bullet riddled laptop to her with that ridiculous story, and all the subsequent ridiculous stories that followed. For some reason she’d found it endearing that he was such a bad liar. The supposed slick, playboy, trust fund lothario, who she imagined had fobbed off any number of other women with his lies and excuses, women who had had fantasies that they would be the one to win the prize of becoming Mrs. Oliver Queen, as well as the man who was the vigilante, scariest guy in town…for some reason could not seem to lie to her. 

But then, as time went by, the crush had grown into something else. The more time she’d spent with him, the more she came to understand the depth of his character, his devotion to the city he was trying to save, to his family, and the small inkling she’d gotten of what he had suffered in his time away. She didn’t know everything, she actually knew very little, but what she did know was that he’d taken his experiences and turned them into a motivation to help others. Yes, he’d begun by crossing off the names on his father’s list, but then he’d changed…and now he was working so hard at being the hero she knew he was. She just wished he wasn’t so hard on himself, and didn’t take so much guilt upon himself, but that’s a part of why she lo…and here’s where her thoughts came to a halt because she had walked into the restaurant and there he was, standing next to a table, in his beautiful gray suit and blue tie, that she loved, with a warm smile and his Felicity eyes. She felt a huge smile break out on her own face, even as her stomach erupted in butterflies.

Wow. Wow. Wow. That was the only thing that Oliver seemed to be able to think, he’d lost all the rest of his vocabulary. Just wow. Felicity was wearing a red dress that he had never seen. It came just to above her knees…the front came up to her collar bone, but then when she turned around to thank the maitre’d he saw the back…or, rather the nonexistent back. WOW, that was a whole lot of beautiful skin. But really, as amazing as that dress was…it wasn’t really what had him captivated, it was in fact what had always amazed him, what had drawn him in from the first moment he’d met her, and that was her sweet smile, and…those eyes, which had shone with the intelligence and humor that came to completely beguile him. He saw she wasn’t wearing her glasses, which he had mixed feelings about; without the glasses her beauty was overwhelming, even a bit intimidating, but…really, it was his geeky IT girl that held his heart in her hands. But her eyes…they were the thing that anchored him…she didn’t even realize that was who she was to him, his anchor in the turbulent waters that were his life.

Felicity walked up to the table…they stood there uncomfortably for a minute, and then following his gut, Oliver leaned over and gave her a quick hug. He then stepped back and said, “You look beautiful.”

Felicity turned red, and said, “You too…,” turning even more red she stammered, “I mean, you’re handsome, you look handsome…OH God, I’ll go now…” She put her hand over her face.

“No you won’t,” he smiled and stepped around her to pull out her chair in a manner that she knew Moira had drilled into him.

Oliver pushed in Felicity’s chair and he couldn’t help but to lean over a minute as he could smell her perfume wafting up…so light…light and fresh. He sat down across from her, and when he did so, the waiter came over; Oliver could tell, by the obsequious smile that popped up on his face, that he knew exactly who Oliver was. Trying to keep the fawning to a minimum, Oliver suggested a red wine he thought Felicity would love. She smiled, and he nodded to the waiter dismissing him. Oliver wondered how long it would take the waiter to try to make a call to the local tabloid, that Oliver Queen was dining with a mystery blonde. Fortunately, the Manager here was an old friend of the Queen family, and any attempts to do so would have swift consequences to the potential perpetrator. 

“Ok, so…this is awkward, I feel awkward…do you feel awkward?” Felicity asked speedily.

Oliver laughed, and said, “Well weirdly, I do feel nervous. It’s odd right? As much time as we’ve spent together and all we’ve been through, I don’t really know why I should, but…I think it’s because we’re naked here.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows to urge him to explain what he meant by this as, this was normally the kind of thing she said.

“I mean because we’re not here as CEO and EA, nor as, you know…the other thing. We’re just…Felicity and Oliver, and am I wrong in thinking it’s just a bit scary?”

Felicity laughed to herself, “Sorry, it’s just the CEO, and…the other guy, scared of a first date…I don’t think I pictured that happening. But as much as I don’t want to benefit from your fear, it’s actually sort of comforting….is that wrong?”

“No... but mainly because I find everything about you to be comforting…”

Okay, that was sort of heart melting, but she knew what he meant, and that was actually even more frightening, because it meant that he was feeling the same way as she did, that this could be so much more than dating, and that’s why taking this step was, and had been, so hard.

“I get it Oliver,” she said softly.

“I know you do,” and he reached over and put his large hand over her smaller one.

Felicity looked down at their hands and took in the difference between them, hers small and pale and smooth, his tanned, so much larger, and with calluses and scars. Really, if people were even the least bit observant, they’d see that his were not the hands of a pampered former playboy, now CEO of a Fortune 500 company…but rather something else entirely. However, people never saw what was right in front of them, which usually worked to their advantage.

The wine came, and then they were silent again but this time, it wasn’t awkward, it was comfortable, but also…electric.

“Oliver…” Felicity began.

“Yes?” He looked at her with his bright blue eyes.

“Why did you…,” she hesitated, “…what made you ask me out now? What changed?”

As always, Felicity disarmed him with her direct question…and Oliver had to think about what he wanted to say.

“I think…” he spoke slowly. “I think it was seeing you go on dates with Jeremy Nacht, and also…it was something John said.”

“What did John say?”

He hesitated a moment, as if he were uncomfortable with what he was about to say, or if he was afraid what he said might push her away. He took a deep breath and then said, “John said that while he knew that the primary reason for my hesitation at pursuing a relationship with you, really the only reason, has been my fear that something could happen to you just because we are together. He said he understood that I thought I was keeping you safe by staying away from you, but the truth was, in his opinion, the longer that I do, the more at risk I put you, and that you would always be safest when we were together. He said…,” Oliver paused, “…no one could keep you safer than I could.” This last was almost whispered.

Felicity nodded thoughtfully, “Smart man, that John.” 

“And I will keep you safe, I will do everything I can to do so.” Oliver said looking at her, as if he were making an eternal vow. 

Felicity looked back at him, her eyes full of warmth and trust, “I know you will Oliver, just like I will keep you safe. That’s what we do, because we are a team.” 

Oliver nodded firmly.

“So, were you jealous?” Felicity teased, while her heart sped up wondering how on earth Oliver Queen, recently voted most desirable bachelor by Starling City Magazine, could possibly be jealous of her dating someone else.

“No…I mean, yes, I was very jealous…but that really wasn’t it. It was more than that. It was just, I saw suddenly that at any moment, I could lose you.”

“Oliver, you’ll never lose me,” Felicity said emphatically.

He gave her a small smile, then continued, “I realized I could lose you because as lovely as you are, it was only a matter of time before someone like Nacht, or someone else, would be the person you wanted to be with, though no one would be good enough for you, they would be someone better than me…and I’d lose you.”

Felicity could feel her eyes fill with tears, oh Oliver, she thought, no one knew how many doubts he had about himself, but then…no one knew how absolutely good he was, how good his heart was.

She started to respond when suddenly there was a crash, and three men in masks with guns, came rushing out through the kitchen doors.

Oliver quickly stepped in front of Felicity’s chair, grabbing her hand, and pushing her behind the table, putting himself between the gunmen and her.

He crouched down, taking her with him; Felicity put her hand on his shoulder, but as she was crouching down behind him, all she could think was…this was sooooo not a dress for crouching…

…as Oliver quickly discovered, when he reached his hand back to assure himself that she was safely behind him and he felt…skin…and a firm soft, thigh with really smooth skin. This is really not the time for that, he told his body, seriously, just because it’s the first time you’ve really noticed that her skin feels like silk, and that the best thing in the world would be just to sit and stroke it for hours, and…STOP THINKING OF THIS, just think of something else. Good Grief – WHEN DID HE START BABBLING TO HIMSELF IN HIS HEAD LIKE FELICITY?!? 

“Well, this is a different take on first date awkwardness.” Felicity whispered in his ear.

Oliver couldn’t stop the smile on his face, amazed as always that Felicity could inject humor into the events that were unfolding; though feeling her warm breath on his ear and neck, really wasn’t supporting the pep talk he was trying to give his body, since it had decided that it was a good time to regress back to his 12-year-old self the first time he and Tommy had swiped one of Robert Queen’s playboy magazines. 

He took a deep breath, and said, “Yeah, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I planned this evening.”

“Exactly, armed robberies are more a third date kind of thing.”

He chuckled.

“Is John Here?”

“No, foolishly, I figured we were safe for the evening just going out to dinner, so I gave him the night off.”

“And I don’t suppose you can break out any Arrow type moves?”

“Um, that would be a no. Oliver Queen, CEO/Playboy…isn’t exactly a guy who can jump in and take down bad guys.”

“Well…there’s one thing I can do, that may provide some distraction…”

“Felicity, don’t do anything to call attention to yourself.”

“I won’t., or at least…I don’t plan on doing so…though I have managed to hit my Detective Lance panic button, so SCPD should be on their way.”

Oliver looked over his shoulder to see her tapping away on her phone.

“Felicity, really…” But then he stopped talking, as he saw one of the assailants suddenly looking past him, right at Felicity…yeah, that was so not happening…He reached his arm back to pull her in more tightly against his back, as his brain furiously sorted through options for intervening without breaking his cover, of course if it came down to choosing between protecting Felicity, or keeping the Arrow on the down low, there was no choice to be made, the tabloids would have the story to top all stories. 

“Hey! Girly!” Felicity had her head bent down, intent on her task, so had no idea the guy was talking to her…until she looked down at the ground and saw a large pair of dirty boots. Oliver stood up instantly pulling Felicity up with him. She pressed one last button with her thumb, and then dropped it into her purse.

“What were you doing?”

He reached for her arm, and Oliver felt his Arrow instincts rushing to the forefront of his brain, crowding out any rational thought, but with the hand, not in the grasp of the bad guy, Felicity was slowly rubbing his back, urging him to hold on. He felt her use her fingers, was she trying to write something there? Yes, she was using her fingers to write numbers on his back; He felt…3, 2, 1…all of a sudden, a deafening alarm sounded, and the split-second distraction was all that he needed for a lightning-fast strike against the goon, causing him to drop his gun…Oliver kicked it to the side, and an older gentleman at the next table picked it up, but wisely just held it to his side.

The guy pulled Felicity closer, and took her by the arm toward the kitchen, where the other two guys were standing…then they heard sirens in the distance.

Oliver was about to unleash on the man holding Felicity, when he saw her trying to catch his eye, she looked quickly right and left and then up. He understood what she was trying to tell him and gave a small nod.

“Look, I’m sure you know who I am, give me the girl and you can have anything you want. Any amount of money, I can even call and have my jet ready to take you anywhere you want to go…you just have to give me the girl.” Oliver said this through clenched teeth. 

“Oh, you’ll give me what I want, but you don’t get the girl until you do.”

Oliver locked eyes with Felicity, she was keeping her cool and had been amazing as always trying to help, but he also knew that she was starting to get scared, he could see her chin wobbling just a bit as she was starting to tremble; he knew her so well, he knew how she was feeling at almost every moment. Restraining himself from attacking was quickly becoming impossible. 

The men were slowly backing up again toward the kitchen, he just needed them to step back a few more feet, then they’d be hidden from view, and he could let loose. Just as SCPD showed up at the front entrance, they quickly stepped back through the door, and disappeared from sight. That was all he needed, everyone was so busy looking at the approaching officers, no one noticed him slipping away, nor the steak knife that disappeared from the table in the back of the restaurant. 

He stepped into the kitchen and saw them backing toward the outer door.

“Oh look, pretty boy date is gonna rescue his broad.” And that was all he said before a knife had pinned his shoulder next to the door, and he was unconscious, his head lolling to the side as he slumped against the wall, and then in a blur of movements, the other two were disarmed and knocked out cold on the floor.

“Oliver, not that I’m not grateful, I am, thank you, it’s just I’m not sure how we’re going to explain this when…” But that was all she got out because the next second, Oliver’s lips were pressed to hers…and a pair of large warm hands were on either side of her face, cupping her jaw, in a way that made her feel she was the most precious thing he’d ever touched. He stepped closer into her and she could feel the heat coming off of his large body, as it became an unbreachable wall between her and the rest of the world. She’d never felt so safe in her life. His hands slid down her shoulders and around her back, and she was completely surrounded. She stood up on tiptoes and slipped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down as she pressed her tongue against his lips, which opened immediately to let her in…they were completely immersed in one another, everything they had felt, for so long, conveyed in that kiss. It felt so right, and so complete, Felicity simply felt whole, in a way she never had before.

Oliver was overwhelmed, he’d been terrified when the robber had pulled Felicity back into the kitchen, and at that moment he couldn’t have cared less if he gave himself away, all he cared about was getting to her and removing the threat, though as always, Felicity’s brain came up with another way for him to do what needed to be done. And now, this kiss…this kiss was amazing, his senses were going into overload, the adrenaline pushing them to the limit. He had Felicity in his arms, where if he were honest with himself, he’d wanted her from the day he’d met her…Laurel, Sara, Helena, the faceless others of his past, they all faded into the background…just distractions he’d used to avoid facing the truth, this inevitability. She was so small, so soft, it was incredible…Her eyes had always been his anchor, her smile had been his sun and light, and now her lips were the connection to everything he’d ever wanted, their kiss was all he knew it would be. 

It was the bridge to his soul. 

He heard a noise behind him, but he was so lost in Felicity, it didn’t register. The noise grew louder, and then he felt a small finger tapping on his chest. That got his attention, as everything she did always had. He pulled away and looked down at Felicity, who had an uncomfortable look on her face, and…had she turned bright red?

“Oliver…Detective Lance is here.”

Oliver took a deep breath as he tried to clear his head and said, “Oh yeah…right.” He turned around and saw the detective standing in the doorway of the kitchen, he wasn’t sure if he looked amused or angry…um, both he thought.

“Hello Detective, so glad to see you.” He tried to inject a grateful note into his voice.

“So, what happened here?” Lance was looking around the kitchen at the neatly dispatched criminals, who were just starting to wake up. “You didn’t do this…did you?” He asked incredulously.

“Er….” Oliver stammered, but then Felicity stepped in smoothly to save the day.

“No, of course not Detective…I have a panic button on my phone that connects directly to…”

“…our mutual friend.”

“Exactly, he was nearby so he was able to get here quickly, and then he slipped away when he heard you arrive.”

Oliver could hear the goons behind him start to speak, so while the detective was talking to Felicity, he turned his head around and gave them full blown Arrow stare. “Yes, we were so grateful he was here…” 

The men then stepped all over themselves and each other to concur with Oliver’s words, knowing without question it was a command, though all three were still trying to figure out how the rich guy standing there had been able to do what he had. But they all knew danger when they saw it, and this was a level of danger none of them had ever before encountered.

“Well good.” Detective Lance said, “I’m glad he was here to help…I will need to get statements from the both of you.”

“Of course Detective,” Oliver replied smoothly. He looked down at Felicity, “Though I’m sorry our evening was interrupted,” he said sincerely to Felicity. 

“So am I, but…. there will be other evenings.” She smiled at him.

“There will?”

“Yes.” She said firmly.

Oliver suddenly felt remarkably cheerful at the idea he had to go down to the SCPD station to give a statement about an attempted robbery. He said to Detective Lance, “We’ll get our coats, and meet you there.”

\-----------------------------------------------

“Well again, sorry that went the way it did, not exactly how I pictured our first date going.” They were standing at the door of Felicity’s apartment, having arrived there after managing to avoid the press; the Detective had been kind enough to let them slip out a back door after they’d given their statements.

“Oh, I dunno, it was kind of fitting actually.” Felicity laughed. 

But then she stopped laughing and looked thoughtful. 

“Oliver…”

“Yes.” Oliver stepped closer to Felicity.

“I know this is the part where I’m supposed to invite you in…I know that’s likely what all your other dates have probably done, but then…they probably had luxury penthouses, filled with all their modeling pictures or trophies or whatever, and I don’t…I mean you’ve seen my apartment, the only trophies I have are from high school when I won the gold medal at the Nevada State Math Olympics three years running, then also there are my very elegant coffee mugs that have pictures of the Tardis on them…and then there’s the…”

Oliver leaned over and kissed her softly, ending the babble. He then stepped back a tiny bit and looked down at her face with a soft expression, which turned into puzzlement.

“First of all, I’m really not sure why you didn’t win all four years…”

“I wasn’t old enough the first year, even though I was in 9th grade, I was only 12 so they decided I wasn’t eligible…”

“Second of all, wait…you were 12 when you were in High School?”

“Yeah, I may have skipped a few grades…” she blushed and looked away for a minute.

She wasn’t looking at him but if she had been, she would have seen he had his ‘I’m so proud of you’ face on, “Second of all,” he repeated, “there is no “supposed to” here, there is what feels right, for you...for us…and for the record, I love your apartment.”

“You do?” She looked back at him, and her face brightened up considerably.

Oliver stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her hips, drawing her to him, and then put his forehead to hers and said, “I do, because it’s comfortable and warm and welcoming.” Which were all the things that were lacking at the mansion, things he hadn’t experienced since he had returned from the island, or really even before.

“Oh…well thank you.” It was Felicity’s turn to lean up and kiss Oliver softly on the lips. She then tipped her head back to look up at him, her face turned a bit pink and she said, “I love my apartment. I know it’s not what you’re used to, and I just want to make sure you aren’t ever disappointed.” Her face looked back down at the last.

Oliver put his fingers under her chin, tipped her face up towards him and said, “Felicity, you have never, and could never, disappoint me.”

“It’s just…” and she pulled away just a bit, “I know we’ve known each other for a while and we have been through some intense experiences together, but this is a whole other kind of thing. It’s just, too important not to get right. And I want it to be right. But, I’d understand if you didn’t agree, and if waiting is not something you’re used to, or if it’s not worth it or, wow…I just realized, I’m assuming a whole lot here, maybe, you aren’t even that interested in me in that way, I mean, I know I am, particularly after the kissing, WOWZA, but maybe the kissing hasn’t been that good for you…I know you’ve kissed a lot of girls…and I mean, I’ve definitely kissed some boys but, it’s been a while and…

Her babble wound quickly to a stop as Oliver’s hands slid from her hips, and around to her back, pulling her close until they were flush against each other. They were so close that Felicity could feel Oliver’s lungs expand, his breath moving in and out; his large hands enveloped the whole of her back, engulfing her. She moved her hands up over his arms, the strong arms that had pulled her from danger, held her under fire, and carried her with ease as they swung across a yawning abyss. They came to rest on top of his shoulders. He leaned his head down and captured her mouth with a gentle insistence. If the kiss at the restaurant had been about the completion of a journey that they had been on, that began the day they had met, this was about embarking on a brand new one. 

Oliver felt Felicity melt into him as he wrapped himself around her, he wanted to pull her into him, he never wanted to let her go. Her mouth was so warm, it tasted so sweet, like marzipan and cherries, satiny smooth, and he wanted to kiss her forever. He felt his body become more demanding as it craved more, but he knew it wasn’t the time, she was right. They weren’t ready; they had taken such a huge step, and it had been right, and he wanted the next step, and the next to be right, so he slowly pulled his arms from her back, and began to ease away from her, and with great reluctance, pulled his mouth from hers, which took more will power than he ever knew he possessed. 

Oliver cradled her face in his hands, and said softly, “Felicity, I want you with every bone in my body, I have done so for a very long time. But this is too important, this is us…so this does have to be right….

…and Felicity?”

She nodded and looked expectantly at him.

“You are so worth the wait.”

And with that he leaned over for one more soft but powerful kiss, caressed the side of her face with his fingers, backed away, and with hands in pockets, smiled and said, “Go on in, I want to hear you lock the door before I leave.”

Trying to gather her wits Felicity gave him her brilliant smile and turned to unlock the door. She whirled back around though, and said, “You still owe me dinner Mr. Queen.”

“Why yes I do Ms. Smoak, I will have to take care of that won’t I?”

He winked and gave her the grin that showed his dimple, the one that had likely allowed him to get away with anything he wanted in his younger days. 

She pushed up on her toes and gave him one more peck on his cheek and quickly went in the door. 

He listened for the locks, stood there staring at the door and let out a big sigh. He turned and went lightly and silently down the stairs to his car. As he did, he took out his phone and pressed a button. “Yes, I’d like to you to deliver one order of Siam Beef to 23 W. Highland St, Apt. 23. Yes, the name is Smoak. Charge it to Oliver Queen please…and there’s 100 bucks in it for the driver if he gets it there in 15 minutes…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. That was the first time I have EVER, written anything approaching a romantic scene. Hope I didn’t screw it up too badly.
> 
> 2\. You really didn’t think their date would go smoothly, did you? It’s Oliver and Felicity, easy just isn’t in the rule book for them.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, see you next time!


	11. The Dim Sum Dilemma…And…a Shoe Is Dropped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there....so, another chapter for you.
> 
> Thank you THANK YOU, for all the comments, Kudos, bookmarking, and views...I really, really appreciate it and am glad the story is appealing to you.
> 
> Just an update on posting, likely a week to ten days is going to be the standard posting schedule going forth. I've gotten bogged down in work projects, as I anticipated I would, so...this seems like a manageable pace. But the always given reminder, that it is ALL written, but some chapters require more editing than others...and so that is what sets the rapidity at which I can get them out.
> 
> So...here you go.
> 
> Please make sure you read the note at the end.
> 
> Thank you once again, and ENJOY!!

Chapter Eleven – The Dim Sum Dilemma…And…a Shoe Is Dropped

Felicity was sitting at her computer outside of Oliver’s office, it was a rare time that she wasn’t in there with him, but he was meeting the Queen family’s personal investment manager, and they both decided it would be kind of strange if his EA were in there, even though Oliver knew as well as she did, that she knew more about his accounts than he did, and if she wanted to steal from him, she could and he’d never even know it. Plus, even though he had secrets, they were never about his money, and she was beginning to understand that he thought anything that was his, was hers…and had been for a while. What that meant in the bigger picture, she chose not to dwell on…but, it was more than fine, she really wasn’t up to being EA right at the moment since she was still trying to process everything that had happened last night…and she really didn’t have a clue, how their various OTHER relationships were supposed to be conducted given their new status…but, what was their new status? They really hadn’t gotten to that part, given how everything went last night.

Sure, Felicity thought, they both decided they were ‘important” but important how? And yes, there definitely seemed to be a physical attraction…wow…and this was where her thought process seemed to stall out because all she was able to think about was the kissing...and…everything else that went with it, and then an image of Oliver’s abs would pop into her head, and that SO didn’t help. But then, when this happened, she would get furious with herself, she was an MIT graduate, for Google’s sake, PULL IT TOGETHER, she yelled at herself…and now she realized John was standing in front of her desk.

“Um...how long have you been standing there?” Felicity asked, hoping he’d just gotten there.

“Long enough to see an entire conversation play out on your face…you DO have a rich inner life, don’t you?” John smirked at her as he said this.

Felicity scowled at him.

“So, anything you…and you…want to share? Anything interesting happen last night? Hmmm…?”

Felicity opened her mouth to respond, but just then the door to Oliver’s office opened, he was seeing the banker to the door and thanking them for coming to see him. Oliver was about to speak when unexpectedly Laurel came in the door of the office suite. Oh great, Felicity thought, gorgeous, TALL, Laurel, former love of Oliver’s life.

“Laurel!” Oliver said, while his eyes slid right to look at Felicity.

Felicity suddenly found her computer screen really interesting.

“Ollie, can I steal you away for lunch? I’d like to ask your advice about something.”

“Well actually,” and Oliver turned his head to look at Felicity, who wouldn’t look at him.

Laurel turned toward Felicity, “Is he free for lunch?”

“Um…”

“Surely you can rearrange his schedule.” Laurel said in a somewhat condescending tone, which, unbeknownst to her, drew a sharp glance from Oliver. 

“Of course, Mr. Queen is free to do whatever he wants,” Felicity said, and then started typing loudly on her keyboard.

“But I thought we had that…” Oliver trailed off helplessly.

“Nope. You’re good.”

“But….”

“Are you ready to leave for lunch Felicity?” John asked, “I promised you dumplings, right?”

Felicity looked gratefully at John.

“Yes, I’m all set.” She stood up abruptly grabbing her coat and purse, “I’ll be back in an hour Mr. Queen.”

She started out the door, John by her side. She stopped and stood in front of the elevator, looking out the window in the hall outside the Executive Suite with her back to its door, and said, “Is he still standing there?”

“Yep. Pretty much looking like somebody just picked up his new puppy and ran away with it.”

The executive elevator arrived, and they stepped into it.

Felicity stabbed angrily at the button for the lobby, and said, “Okay, I think I feel stupid now. I really don’t want to play games, that’s not who I am.”

“I know Felicity.”

“I just…it’s just been a confusing morning…you guys were late, and when he walked in, he smiled at me and started to say something, but then Frank Howard showed up to talk about family stuff, so we weren’t really able to say anything to one another, but I had hoped Oliver and I could talk at lunch and get some things straightened out, but then beautiful Laurel rushes in and that was that.”

“Okay 1. That was not that. I am quite certain Oliver would much rather have talked to you over Big Belly Burgers, then talk to Laurel about whatever it is she wanted. But at the same time, she is one of his oldest friends, and it is just not possible for Oliver Queen to be rude to anyone he cares about.”

Felicity looked down at the floor of the elevator and said, “I know. It’s one of the many great things about him.”

“And 2. I thought you guys were going to talk about this last night?”

“Didn’t he tell you what happened on the way in this morning?”

“He said there was some trouble at the restaurant, but he mostly couldn’t stop waxing poetic about how beautiful you looked, and that was pretty much it.”

“Really?” She felt her mood lift a bit.

“Really. So why didn’t you guys talk about everything?”

“Because we spent most of the night trying to explain to SCPD how Oliver Queen couldn’t possibly have taken out three armed men by himself, and the other part involved a lot of kissing.” She could feel her cheeks get warm with that.

“Oh…well, that was a full evening.” John wasn’t interested in the disarming bit, pretty much the standard course of events for Oliver.

“Yeah, he got a bit carried away when one of them grabbed me and threatened to kill me if Oliver didn’t give him money and a jet.”

“Felicity, you have really been hanging around with Oliver too much. A guy assaults you in a parking garage, and another guy tries to kidnap you, and you’re all ‘ho hum.’”

“Whatever.”

“Tell me about the kissing part.”

Seeing Felicity’s raised eyebrows, he amended, “I mean, don’t TELL me about the kissing part, just where did you get in terms of your relationship?”

“Honestly, not too far. We both agreed that we were important to one another, and because of that we decided we wanted to take it slow and make sure we don’t screw things up, so sex is on hold at the moment though, Oliver made it pretty clear he was definitely interested. OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?” Felicity turned beet red and covered her face with both hands, “I am so sorry John, I REALLY didn’t mean to overshare.”

John, who was trying not to laugh uncontrollably, said, “Well, yes…as happy as I am to know that Oliver is interested in sex with you, maybe given how closely we all work together, we can keep to ourselves these sorts of details.”

“Of course, no problem…I’ll be cutting my tongue out soon, so it won’t be an issue.”

“But really, no idea what this means going forward? Are you dating? Or something else?”

“I know. I mean…what does this mean for our QC relationship, what does it mean for our…” she looked around quickly, as by now they were walking through the front lobby of the building, “…other relationship? Is it healthy for us to spend so much time together? Do I need to find another job? Are people going to judge us, I mean, more than they already do? Does any of this qualify as sexual harassment?”

“Take a breath Felicity. First of all, not sure HR has a pamphlet on the dos and don’ts of dating between Vigilante CEO’s and their IT Partners/Executive Assistants. Nor do I think you should worry about whether people are going to judge you or not. That’s really not important. As far as whether something is healthy or unhealthy. I think you and Oliver will know what works for you both…and quite frankly, it’s hard for me to imagine either one of you wanting suddenly, and may I say arbitrarily, to inject space into your relationship, just because you think you’re supposed to now that you’re dating, or whatever; ‘supposed to’ really isn’t a useful phrase.”

“You know, Oliver said almost that exact same thing last night, he even used the words ‘supposed to,’ when we were talking about…” And she suddenly closed her mouth, “…talking. He said, there was no ‘supposed to’ for us. Just what was right, for us.”

“See, exactly. You and Oliver will know what feels right, and you both care so much about each other, and…our work, you won’t do anything that may jeopardize that…all except…”

“Except what John?”

He sat there a minute as if trying to think how to phrase something.

“What is it John?”

“I think Oliver is going to have to get his head around how he approaches, mentally and operationally, decisions that may involve you…that could potentially put you at risk.”

Felicity nodded, thinking about the rare times she had gone under cover for a mission. Oliver was already overprotective of her in those situations, she couldn’t imagine how much more so he would be, if her importance to him became amplified.

“But I don’t know how I can approach that with him.”

“Hmmm…. not sure…it may be something that can’t be addressed until it’s a specific situation.”

“Yeah maybe. Again, thank you for listening John. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, you’re very important to me, as is that overprotective, incredibly brave, pain in the ass, green leather wearing CEO…. Now, how about some lunch?”

“You don’t have to take me to lunch John, I mean, you were just trying to save me.”

“No way, I’ve got a craving for some Dim Sum.”

Felicity laughs, “Okay then, off we go.”

\--------------------------------------------------

Oliver was struggling…to stay present. Because he realized that his heart had walked out the door when John had whisked Felicity off to lunch. And he was worried because he didn’t know for sure if Felicity knew that she carried his heart in her pocket, and that upset him. But he wasn’t being fair to Laurel, who was someone he cared about, who he would always care about, if for no other reason than because she was part of his story, for good and bad. And she clearly had something she wanted to discuss with him, but most of him was off having Dim Sum with his little blonde IT girl.

“…and so, you can see, I’ve got a difficult decision to make.” Laurel said, “What do you think Ollie?”

Damn. He’d missed entirely what the difficult decision was. Wait, no he remembers…Laurel had been offered a job in Coast City, and she didn’t know if she was ready to leave her dad.

“Laurel, what does your gut tell you? Do you see your best chance to make a life to be here in Starling City, where you are comfortable, and have your dad and friends? Or is your best chance to make a life going somewhere new and leaving your memories, good and bad, behind you.”

“Wow Ollie, that’s pretty good considering I didn’t think you were actually listening to anything I said.” She replied laughing.

Oliver smiled ruefully, “Sorry…I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Does that include a short blonde with glasses who didn’t appear to be very happy about you going to lunch with me?” Laurel said it mostly in jest, since the girl to whom she referred wasn’t really Oliver’s type.

Oliver started to deny it, but stopped himself when he thought, I am not going to hide this. Felicity is too important; I refuse to keep our relationship out of sight.

“Well, yes. I am sorry Laurel. You matter a great deal to me, it’s just…this thing with Felicity is very new, and she knows about …us.” Oliver turned a bit pink,” …and I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”

“Of course not.” Laurel was taken aback. She hesitated a moment before she spoke the next words, “But…isn’t it a bit cliché Oliver, your secretary?”

Oliver felt himself get angry in a way he never had with Laurel. “Felicity’s not just my secretary, or rather Executive Assistant, she is so much more.”

“Ok, ok…I’m sorry Ollie, really…I didn’t mean to besmirch…Felicity? She’s very pretty.” Laurel said with a somewhat apologetic tone.

“She is so much more than pretty, she’s brilliant, and smart, and funny, and brave…”

“Wow, you are gone, aren’t you? Did you know her before she became your…EA?”

“Um…yes, we’ve been friends for a couple of years, I met her when she was still in IT, she helped me with a problem with my laptop and I kept having to ask her for help with computer problems, and we just started talking a lot, and spending time together.”

Laurel studied him a moment, wearing a thoughtful expression, it came to her that…she really didn’t know him anymore. If she were honest with herself, she had never known the Oliver that came back from that godforsaken island, not the way she thought she did. But she realized, that’s okay…and the answer that had eluded her, the decision she needed to make, for which she had asked his advice, became obvious. But she knew she needed to make amends for the things she had said and done today, so she said sincerely, “Well good for you Ollie, I’m really glad you’ve found someone.”

Oliver sensed that Laurel meant this but, he also could see something dim in her eyes; he knew she was thinking about Tommy.

“I miss him too Laurel.” An understatement, Oliver thought as he looked out into the window, seeing down the street a peek of Rockets stadium, where he and Tommy had spent countless summer afternoons, eating hot dogs, and sneaking beers as they watched bad baseball. 

A tear slid down her cheek, as she looked down nodding, “I know you do Ollie.”

“So,” he began, changing the subject, “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

Laurel sat a minute and looked out the window of the little restaurant they were in, it was from the old days…when the three of them would hang out.

“Yes…I think it’s time for me to make a change…”

Oliver nodded. “If it doesn’t make you happy Laurel, you can always come back…you always have a home here.”

She nodded her head, turned, and smiled her beautiful, perfect smile…the one that used to captivate him, but that now seemed to be lacking something. It didn’t have a curved plump bottom lip; it wasn’t sweet and warm…and…

“I know Ollie; thank you for saying that.”

\--------------------------------------------------------

Felicity walked through the glass doors into her office; making a concentrated effort not to look right into the office next to hers. She really wanted a moment to gather herself together before facing him, she still felt awkward about how she had reacted to Laurel’s visit…but she didn’t get long.

“Felicity?” Oliver said softly from the door, “Would you mind coming in here?”

She knew him inviting her into his office had nothing to do with him being CEO, since he considered them to be equal partners…and really, he gave her more credit for his success at his job than was necessary, or even warranted. Rather, he invited her in because it was easier to speak privately in there.

She nodded at him and followed him through.

“Look, about Laurel…”

“Oliver, I’m sorry…”

They had both spoken at the same time. They smiled nervously at each other until Oliver gestured for her to go ahead.

“I’m sorry about how I acted, it was really uncalled for. I know she’s one of your oldest friends, of course you’d want to have lunch with her. It’s really none of my business.”

Oliver stood listening to her, an increasingly puzzled expression on his face.

“Felicity, yes, she is one of my oldest friends and I am always going to care about her but…you don’t think I’d rather have lunch with her, do you? You must realize that I will always choose you right?”

Felicity’s head lifted at his last words, and she looked him in the face.

“Really?”

“Beyond really. You will always come first Felicity, you know that right?”

She shrugged, and began to speak, “It’s just...” and she turned a bit pink and looked to the side, not wanting to finish the sentence.

“It’s just what?” Oliver bent his knees, placed his hand gently on the side of her face, looked her straight in the eyes and said, “You can tell me anything Felicity.”

“It’s just…” Felicity continued, “…she is so gorgeous, and so sweet, and so tall, and so beautiful.” She turned bright red toward the end of her sentence and spoke really fast.

Oliver straightened back up and just stood there a minute processing what Felicity had said. He was a bit caught off guard. As his IT genius, EA, vigilante partner, she was the height of confidence, incredibly brave, and tougher than anyone could imagine…it never occurred to him that she would be insecure about something like this. 

He stepped closer to her, so she had to tip back her head to look him in the face, and as he looked down, directly into her eyes, he said, 

“Felicity, this is really a conversation that I want to have later, preferably when we aren’t standing in front of a glass wall, on display for all of Queen Consolidated, waiting for our 2 pm appointment to walk in the door; but please hear me when I say, you are absolutely drop dead gorgeous, you are the sweetest, kindest, most interesting person I’ve ever known, and while I’d like to refresh your memory by other means as to everything you mean to me, and how you make me feel, given our present circumstances, I can’t. Do I need to remind you that my attraction to you was quite evident last night, and that was only from kissing you good night….and that I told you quite specifically my feelings in that regard? Can we please just establish as a baseline that I also think you are the sexiest woman I have ever known?”

Red now covered her entire face and neck, accompanied by a bit of breathlessness as Felicity looked into his eyes and listened to His. Incredibly. Sexy. Voice. She nodded.

“Good.” He smiled. “What I do think we should do is carry on this conversation over dinner this evening.”

She nodded again.

“How about I bring pizza and wine to your apartment so we can talk more.”

Finally finding her voice again, she said, “Okay.”

Just then they heard a rap on the glass. They looked up to see QC’s General Counsel standing in the door. “Sorry, Ms. Smoak wasn’t at her desk…do we still have a 2 pm meeting?”

Felicity pulled herself together and turned to the man in the door, “Of course Mr. Price my apologies for not being there to greet you.”

Oliver stepped forward with his hand extended, “Please have a seat.”

“Ms. Smoak?” Oliver asked.

“Yes.” But she wasn’t referring to the meeting, “I’ll go get my notes.”

\----------------------------------------

Felicity was packing up her things, getting ready to head to her apartment to wait for Oliver. He’d already left, said he needed to run to the mansion first…when her phone beeped. She looked at it and realized that one of the searches she had not had a lot of faith in, was finally yielding some results.

“Oh wow.” She sighed, realizing pizza night was off…but this could be important. She started heading to the door, calling Oliver as she walked.

“Felicity hey…is everything okay?”

“Yes, but you better double the pizza order and make sure you add mushrooms to one of them and forget the wine.”

“What’s up?”

“I can’t go into details right now…Hi Mr. Gordon,” Felicity nodded at the Director of Sales as he went by, “…but I think the information, which I’ve been trying to track down, may finally have shown up.” 

“Aahh.” She heard the faintest note of disappointment in Oliver’s voice, which made her heart skip a beat. 

Then he asked, “Can you call John? And I’ll see you soon.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

John was standing in front of her computers when she came to the bottom of the stairs. While he was nowhere near her level, I mean really – who was, he was slightly better than Oliver at reading data.

“So why am I looking at financial reports for a bunch of random tech companies?”

He turned around to look over her shoulder, “No Oliver?”

“He left earlier, I thought he’d be here already. Didn’t you take him to the mansion?”

“I dropped him off but then I actually had a highly dangerous mission I had to accomplish.” At Felicity’s questioning eyebrows, he continued, “I had a dentist appt.”

“Well, I guess failure to floss can trip up even a vigilante super soldier.”

“Ha-ha.”

“Anyway, he’ll be here shortly with pizza.”

“Did you two get a chance to talk?”

“Only briefly, we were going to continue doing so this evening, but…”

“But….do you feel better?” 

She smiled. “Yes.”

“Good.” John gave her his best big brother smile, “Okay, back to this.”

“Hang on just a minute, I want to read through some of the side data…and I don’t want to explain this twice, so we’ll wait for Oliver.”

“Wait for Oliver to do what?” 

He had reached the bottom of the stairs, with neither of them hearing a peep, stupid ninja skills, pizza in hand.

“Wait so I don’t have to explain my search twice.”

“Okay…but first….,” he and John dove into the pizza.

After downing what appeared to be half of one of the pizzas, the one that only had vegetables and half the cheese, Oliver asked, “So, what did you find?”

Felicity turned around and asked, “Did you save me a piece of pepperoni and black olive?” She refused to eat pizza that didn’t have at least one unhealthy form of meat on it. Giving her a sweetly reproving look Oliver handed her a napkin and a paper plate that already had on it a piece of what she had requested. She briefly stuck her tongue out at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking, but then she smiled up at him. He was so struck with the smile, he almost leaned over to kiss her, but realized John was sitting there so he restrained himself. He was also trying not to think about her tongue and…other things…that he definitely did not need to be thinking about with John there. He shook his head and forced himself to listen to what Felicity was saying.

“So…,” she began after she had taken a bite of pizza, “I told you the last search I had going was to try and align temporal and geographical moments of the thefts that have happened across the country. What I didn’t tell you was it was for other tech companies. It occurred to me, given the way the thefts have been carried out, for Nick Night to do this, and remain invisible as he has, he was going to need access to some sort of propriety stealth technology or something. I’ve had a search going that was analyzing the revenue streams for each of the tech companies in these cities, that is, to whom are they buying and selling, who is their financial backer, who benefits from their profits, is there a single entity involved that may be connected with each of the cities. The first search led to a company called Weybridge; they’ve had small divisions, under different names, opening in each of the cities. They aren’t really huge competitors though, and their products don’t really line up with what we’ve been looking at. I’m just waiting now for the last few firms to finish up…and, here we go…”

Felicity stopped talking…they both looked down at her and saw that she had gotten pale and had stopped breathing.

“Felicity, what is it?” John asked.

“Felicity, are you okay? Felicity!” Oliver set his plate down and put his hand on her shoulder and shook her a little, this seemed to pull her out of her trance.

She blinked her eyes, as if to clear her vision, but then continued to sit there staring at the screen in disbelief. She began typing furiously, after which yet another screen popped up on her computer, at which point she gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand.

“What have you found?” Oliver asked, trying not to sound impatient but he was worried because Felicity was obviously very troubled by something she had found.

“Um, there is another company that has subsidiaries in each of the cities, one that is in fact the same size as QC, engaged in the same level of tech work.”

“What’s their name Felicity?” Oliver was about to crawl out of his skin in anticipation.

She turned around slowly to face them.

By the look on Felicity’s face as she was focused primarily on him, Oliver had the feeling he was not going to like what she was about to say. 

And he didn’t.

After taking a deep breath, Felicity said, “The name of the company is CK International.”

Feeling as though he had been hit in the gut he growled, “And the CEO of CK International is…

…Jeremy Nacht.” He and Felicity said simultaneously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how many of you guessed?
> 
> A note about Laurel. I know there are strong feelings about Laurel, but I wanted to say...generally I liked her, as a lawyer, and as a friend...I think she had some moments where she was sweet, and did her best to help when she could. I just thought that she was a less than great superhero, and that she and Oliver just didn't work as a couple. My husband, who can be fairly oblivious to these sorts of things, even saw that.
> 
> And...she is just somewhat a plot device here. There were some thoughts and feelings I wanted to show up here with Oliver and Felicity; and Laurel seemed like a good way to do it. Plus, as I say, I did like her in a lot of ways - and wanted to give her character some resolution, particularly between her and Oliver.
> 
> Anyway - Thank you VERY MUCH again for reading.


	12. The Mouse and The Vigilante

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all.
> 
> You are all great, I appreciate all your comments, your kudos, and everyone who is taking time to read this...really, thank you so much.
> 
> This is a longer chapter, but it is also a transition chapter...it sets up what is to be the final act of this story, as well as some other things. I'm not sure yet how many more chapters there will be, I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to break up some of what is to come. But I will give warning when we are getting close.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading. 
> 
> Please Enjoy!

Chapter 12 – The Mouse and The Vigilante

Oliver was enraged, perhaps even more so than when the guy had attacked Felicity in the garage, or when his mother had threatened her. To think this guy, who was potentially a major crime figure, had taken Felicity out on a date, had spent time with her…just the idea that Felicity could have been in danger. Yes, as John had reminded him, he didn’t appear to be violent, but who knew for sure, who knew what the guy might do if he were cornered. He realized Felicity was saying something to him.

“…don’t know for sure that it’s him.”

“Who’s the other option?”

“Well, the head of the division at Weybridge is…” She looked at her screen, “…er, a 63-year-old woman named Imogene Smythe.”

“So, I think it’s safe to say the cat burglar is not her.” 

“Well, it could be someone else, who works for Ms. Smythe.”

“Not likely.” Oliver said through clenched teeth. 

“Wait, so we’re saying that Jeremy Nacht, billionaire…like Oliver Queen level billionaire, guy who is trying to date Felicity…,” as John said this, a sound emerged from the area near Oliver, something that sounded weirdly like an angry lion growling, “…is Nick Night, a cat burglar, responsible for the theft of millions of dollars of hi-tech equipment, that theoretically, he could just buy any time he wanted, I mean…Seriously?” 

Oliver began pacing back and forth, breathing heavily, his hands clenching and unclenching…

“Look Oliver, you really need to take it down a notch.” Felicity said, aware that the tension in the room, rather the tension emanating from one person, was starting to rise.

He ignored her, stalked over to his bow and quiver, and began to strap it on…

Felicity watched Oliver as his transformation into Arrow happened at lightning speed. She knew she needed to talk him down from this, or something bad, and reckless, was going to happen.

“Oliver, it isn’t productive to just go spinning off in all directions, just because it seems like we know the answer, and that this answer gives you a legitimate reason to go shoot an arrow into someone, mainly because THEY TOOK ME OUT ON TWO DATES!!” Felicity’s voice had gotten increasingly louder. 

Once he had pulled on his hood, he began walking to the door.

Giving up on trying to reason with him, she stood up, marched angrily toward him, and in her loud voice, she shouted, “OLIVER, STOP!!”

He halted in his steps but didn’t turn around…instead Oliver stood there with his head down, staring at the floor.

Silence. 

Felicity wasn’t sure he had heard her, until he turned around toward her. 

As they locked eyes, Oliver took in the sight of the small woman standing before him, who without her heels on, barely came up to his shoulder, fearlessly going toe to toe with him. He was struck again by her bravery, but…it didn’t matter, he had to do this. He had to go and deal with this criminal, so she would be safe. He had told her he would keep her safe, no matter what, and this was what he needed to do to honor that vow. But…she had said, and even through his anger he was trying to remember everything she had said, during their date the previous evening, when they had spoken so freely, as just Oliver and Felicity, she had reminded him…they were a team. 

Oliver stood breathing heavily for a moment, then he looked away. He felt like this could be an important moment in terms of their relationship, in the way it would proceed, or not…and the decision was on him. He wasn’t sure what he would do later regarding Mr. Nacht, but for now, he realized he needed to stand down. So he turned back to Felicity, relaxed his shoulders, and nodded. 

Felicity nodded back.

John was staring in amazement at what had just happened, Felicity had stood up to Oliver in the past, many times…she never hesitated to do so when she felt she was right, and he was wrong. It was just…he didn’t remember ever seeing him calm down so quickly before, or at least trying to give the appearance of calming down. John felt like that rage was still just simmering under the surface, waiting for an opportunity to break loose, but for the moment, the mouse definitely had the upper hand over the lion, of course, the mouse was not your ordinary mouse, but still….

Hoping to lower the emotional intensity in the room, John asked, trying to sound as reasonable as possible, “Felicity, now that you’ve got it narrowed down, can you do a more specific search on Nacht, tracking his movements for the time periods of each of the robberies?” 

“Yes, I should be able to get a pretty clear picture of what Mr. Nacht has been up to the last few months, particularly during his time here in Starling City.” Felicity replied, never taking her eyes off Oliver.

“Okay, good…while you work on that, I think Oliver and I should go take a look at CK International, see if anything seems out of the ordinary.” John felt that if he could give Oliver specific and concrete action to take, it would help to diffuse his anger.

Oliver, who hadn’t yet spoken, said, “I’ll be right behind you John.”

John looked between the two of them and said, “Right…back in a bit Felicity.”

After John left, Oliver walked over to Felicity, removing his hood, as she sat back down in the chair, with her head lowered and her fingers massaging her temple.

He stepped softly, and when he got there, he crouched down so he could be face to face with her.

“Hey,” He said gently, trying to be calm, or at least to appear calm, since his gut was churning over and over with the anger that was still coursing through his body. 

She didn’t say anything, instead just looked thoughtfully at him.

Oliver took a deep breath and said, “Felicity, I’m not sure what I need to say here. I won’t apologize for being upset that you may have been in danger. I will never apologize for that.” He was trying to be honest, and not to let his emotions overwhelm him, which could lead to him throwing up his walls to hide behind. 

“But Oliver…”

“Let me finish,” he said, “But I will apologize for losing sight of how we do things here.”

Felicity nodded. Still wearing a troubled expression, she said, “But Oliver, that’s the problem…I feel stupid.” Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I mean, I don’t feel stupid…. because I’m not stupid, but I feel like I missed something, or maybe I just didn’t want to see anything.” Her brow was furrowed, her beautiful eyes clouded. “I’m still not convinced he’s bad, but if he is…. how did I miss it?”

Oliver looked a little confused. “What could you have missed? Nacht appeared to be just as advertised…how could you have known there might be something wrong with him?”

“But that’s just it Oliver, I did feel something wrong…at least the first date I did…that’s why…”

“Why what?”

“It’s why I left early, and why I was in a hurry, and why I wasn’t thinking about the situational awareness thing John had been drilling into me, but instead was doing insane babbling to myself and looking for my keys, and that’s why that guy was able to grab me.”

“Oh…but you still haven’t said why all that happened, what caused you to do all that.”

“Because...” Felicity hesitated,” …because sitting there with my gin and tonic, having a perfectly lovely conversation with this handsome…”

“He’s not that handsome.”

“…handsome rich CEO, it just felt wrong. So, I got up and left, and did so in such a lunatic fashion, that I couldn’t believe it when he called me for a second date.” She looked embarrassed. 

Oliver took her hands in his and said, “Felicity he called you for a second date because he wasn’t an idiot, he knew you were a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished woman who he wanted to get to know more. That’s why he asked you out the first and second time.”

“You don’t think he was just trying to work me somehow?”

“Um…I do think he was trying to work you,” Oliver turned a bit flushed himself, as he thought back to his pre-island actions, when he was a thoughtless, trust fund playboy. God he’d been an ass, he and Tommy basically treating women as they treated everything in their lives, commodities that just required the right price, assuming anything they wanted, they could have. Every woman he met; he’d treated like they were exchangeable for any other. He hated how he’d been, and marveled that Felicity even wanted to know him, much less want to date him. “But not to get inside information on QC or anything.”

“Then for what?”

Oliver blushed, looked directly at her, and again raised one eyebrow.

“Oh.” She turned pinker. Felicity rarely thought of herself in those terms, she knew she was a genius, she knew she was determined, and capable of a great many things, but she had been in very few relationships, and had never really experienced men pursuing her in the way Oliver intimated. Or not that she had noticed since her focus had always been very much on her career, and her interests. 

But she sat there and considered what Oliver had said. “Okay, well, I’m not sure you are completely right, but he really did seem like a nice guy, so it’s probably unlikely he had some nefarious purpose in asking me out. Therefore, he’s either a really good actor, or…there is some good reason he’s ‘potentially’ stealing this tech.”

“Right.” Oliver looked dubious.

With a resigned expression she said, “Okay well, we can talk about this more later, you’d better get going, John may have left without you by now.”

“Yeah, doubtful.” Yes, doubt the Arrow, or Oliver Queen, had ever been left behind in his life. 

He patted her hand, leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead, stood, and then turned and started walking back to the exit. But then he turned back.

“But you still haven’t explained something.”

“Hmmmm? What’s that?” Felicity asked distractedly since she had already turned back to her computers to begin her research.

“Since you didn’t know at the time that he may be a criminal mastermind, why did it feel wrong when you were having drinks?”

Felicity’s hands stilled on her keyboard.

“I mean, if you thought he was a nice guy, and you know, handsome.” Oliver said begrudgingly, “Why did you leave?”

She turned her chair around and looked him in the face with a blush across it, she took a deep breath and said, “It felt wrong because…because it was the wrong handsome, billionaire, CEO.”

Oliver stood there processing that a moment, and then a wide grin emerged on his face. He went back over to her in three broad strides; leaned over and put his hands on the arms of her chair, forming a cage around her, and he put his face just an inch from hers, and said, “The wrong CEO, huh?”

“Yes.” God, Oliver sounded smug.

“There’s a right billionaire CEO?” Oliver teased, smiling.

“Yes…though, as cocky as the right billionaire CEO is looking at the moment, that opinion could quickly change.”

“Hmmm…. I doubt that.” 

“Don’t be so sure.” 

He winked at her.

IT’S REALLY NOT FAIR FOR HIM TO BRING OUT THAT WINK, Felicity thought, that thing is really his superpower. 

“Well, as I know there is only one right Executive Assistant, and I know that the right CEO is crazy about that right EA, I think it is all good.” Oliver’s eyes had softened at the last, and his Felicity eyes appeared. 

Felicity smiled at that, and carefully put her hands on Oliver’s cheeks, “Perhaps you’re right.”

Oliver leaned over and put his lips to Felicity’s, and while it wasn’t the overwhelming kiss that he had given her at her door the previous evening, this was no less powerful and was soft, warm, and very direct.

“Are we good?” He asked once he pulled back.

Felicity saw that despite his display of bravado, his eyes showed that he was feeling unsure, which melted her heart. 

She smiled warmly at him and said, “Yes. Now, go leather up and do that Arrow thing.” She waved her hands at him, shooing him away.

“Leather up? Wow…”

“STOP!”

He gave her one more cocky grin, then turned and headed out to meet John.

She turned back to her computer to begin her detailed search into Jeremy Nacht, though her concentration was off by a few percentage points, which for her was astounding, as she thought about cocky boys and their sweet ways.

\-----------------------------------------------

Oliver walked carefully around the Executive floor of CK International, arrow nocked and ready, though lowered to the ground. On the ride over his brain had still been full of thoughts of Felicity, not about how angry he was about Nacht, and the potential threat he represented to her, but rather, the fact that every time he saw her, every conversation they had, it became clearer and clearer to him that he was in so far over his head that he should be scared to death, but…he wasn’t. 

But now that he was on site, his focus became directed toward what was before him because that was how he had been trained, and how he’d learned to survive. 

“Do you see anything Oliver?” Felicity asked through the com link. 

Oliver was moving about, he’d covered all the executive floor and the research lab, while John was scouting out the managerial offices.

“It looks pretty much like QC, nothing strange, and I couldn’t see anything anywhere that looked like someplace you’d stash your secretly stolen tech.”

“Yeah, there could be another off-site location.”

“Felicity do you have any more ideas?”

“Nope…I’m starting a search for any offsite storage facilities, registered under CK, as well as any of its subsidiaries, and anything just under the name Jeremy Nacht.”

“Felicity…” Oliver hesitated, “You know what else you need to search?”

“I know.” she answered in a quiet voice, “I’m hacking into any cameras leading to and around his residences; it will take some time to download the feeds since I think he keeps pace with the Queen family in terms of collecting real estate.”

“Okay, we’re going to head out before security starts its next sweep. If you find anything before we get back, let us know, and we’ll check it out.”

“Got it.”

“Heading back Oliver.” John said in his ear.

“Thanks John.”

“Be careful guys.” Felicity always said that to her boys, sometimes it felt like a sort of charm. She didn’t know if she said it to make them feel better, or herself. 

\-------------------------------------------

Oliver swung back on his bike and headed toward the foundry. On a hunch, he diverted through the neighborhood that was Roy Harper’s last known address…and bingo…, he saw the Red Hooded boy wonder, trotting down the street carrying…groceries?

Oliver sped toward him, whipping his bike around to cut off his path.

Roy pulled up short, dropped his groceries, and crouched down into a defensive position. He then saw who it was, straightened up, and relaxed his hands at his sides, though Oliver could see from the way he stood, that Roy could still make a hasty escape, or attack, at a moment’s notice.

“Oh, it’s you.” Roy said, to the green leather covered guy, who he actually found pretty terrifying despite how offhand he tried to act with him. 

“Why aren’t you still positioned to attack me?” The deep and somehow modulated voice asked him.

“Well, 1. If you wanted to take me down, I’m pretty sure you’d be able to whether I was ready to go or not, and 2. I don’t think it’s your style to take down a guy minding his own business walking home with his groceries. Am I wrong?”

“No.” Oliver choked back a laugh, this guy certainly had a mouth on him, no wonder he and Thea had hit it off. 

“So, if you don’t want to fight, and you don’t want to steal my fruit loops, what do you want?”

“I want to talk.”

“About what?”

“About why you’re trying to get yourself killed.”

“I already told you.”

“Well tell me again.” 

Roy’s face tightened up, and Oliver could tell it was taking everything he had not to bolt…and Oliver thought he was still going to until the last possible second, when finally, his face relaxed, just a bit.

Roy sighed and then began to speak, “Because after the Undertaking, after the first few days, when emergency services, and the police, and the do-gooders, and reporters all went away…” Roy paused, somehow sensing that Oliver was about to interject, “…yes, went away, all the people in this neighborhood were left with was a bunch of broken buildings and new gangs trying to grab territory. The women who lived here, working women, single moms, usually alone and on their own…who before this all went down, had been barely hanging on, trying to feed their kids and keep them safe, were the main ones who suffered. Most of them lost their homes and jobs and what had been incredibly hard, now became impossible since any idea of order was gone, and with it any semblance of safety. With all of that, somebody had to do something…so that’s when I started trying to do something. Because all the high society people, who all go on and on about ‘helping the Glades,’ really do jack, other than have parties where they can dress up and look pretty and write checks that are less than they spend on the gas for their yachts.”

Oliver stood there processing what Roy had just said, and his first thought was that the kid wasn’t wrong, which he knew all too well since he had grown up as one of those ‘high society people,’ and knew exactly how they operated. He was also hearing the voices of the two most important women in his life, Felicity and Thea, when they talked about Roy, as they insisted that he was a good guy. But there were still some problems.

“Well, your sentiments are right, but nonetheless, you are still going to get yourself killed doing this on your own, untrained.”

“Well, what do you suggest?”

“Let me train you.”

“To do what?” Roy asked skeptically.

“To do this properly. To do this more effectively.”

“Well, what if I said I didn’t want to be trained, that I didn’t need training?”

“Then I’d say, I hope you enjoy meeting the SCPD.”

“You think you can stop me?”

“I know I can stop you.”

“Yeah, right.” As if prove a point, Roy took a running leap and somersaulted onto a car, managing to rebound off the building next to it intending to escape down an alley. But from one minute to the next, he suddenly felt air, when he’d thought there’d be building. Something had tugged his hoodie and jerked him up. When he realized he was hanging in midair, he stopped struggling and looked over his head. His hood was pinned to the side of the building with an arrow. He looked down and saw The Arrow on his bike, revving it up, ready to leave.

“Hey…you can’t leave me here.” Roy shouted.

“Of course I can. If you are so sure you can get away from me, you’ll figure it out. And if you do, meet me under the Putney bridge tomorrow night to discuss your training program. And if you can’t, or you decide you aren’t interested, think about if you’d like a yard or a river view at SCPD’s holding facility.” With that he spun his bike around and rode off.

Roy watched him leave from his airy perch and said to no one,

“I really hate that guy.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

Felicity was about to pack it in for the night after Oliver had switched off his coms. She waited a bit for him, but then thought he must have decided to do a quick patrol; he often did that after the evening’s mission each night had been accomplished. She knew that he felt that there was always something more to be done, and that he didn’t want whatever their team goals were to take precedence over those in need who may be right in front of them. She was so proud of the way he had grown, that when he began this, all he’d cared about was exacting justice on those whose names were on a list, but his crusade was about so much more than that now. 

John had said goodnight a while ago. She didn’t like when Oliver would go patrolling without either John in the field, or her in his ear. But she also knew she couldn’t stop him. He had come so far in the last couple of years, in terms of letting people in, letting people help him…and even more so in the last few weeks, obviously…smiling to herself. But, she knew there was, and likely always would be, a need to keep some part of himself separate, things he had to face on his own. She always thought of it as that one scar from his time away, that would never heal properly. She never wanted to change him, just to help him, and for him to know that she understood.

There was a buzzing sound coming from the comm link. She quickly snatched it up, “Oliver?”

“Hey, I didn’t know if you’d still be there.”

“I was about to head out. Did you go patrol alone again?” 

He heard the gentle scold in her voice. “Sort of.” He was silent a minute. “I went to speak to Roy Harper.”

Felicity sat down, “You did?”

“Yeah, I wanted to ask him if he wanted to be trained by me.”

“Oh you did.” There was a smile on her face. He had listened to her and taken a huge baby step.

“Yeah…I mean, I’m not quite ready to give him the code to the bunker, but…I also can’t have his death on my conscience since that is clearly where he is headed if he doesn’t stop or get some help.”

“I’m glad you did that Oliver. I really do think he’s a good kid.”

“Well…he hasn’t said yes yet. He’s supposed to give me an answer tomorrow evening. I told him either he says yes, or he’ll be getting acquainted with the fine lodging available at the SCPD.”

“What makes you think you can track him down again if he doesn’t want to do this?”

“Oh, I think I made it clear to him that wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Oliver what did you do?”

He didn’t say anything.

“Oliver…”

“I may have stuck him to the side of his apartment building, with an arrow through his hood.”

“Oh Oliver, that isn’t exactly going to endear you to him.”

“Hm…I’m not so sure about that,” he said. “Well, we’ll see what happens.”

“I guess we will.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to have our pizza date night, and to talk some more.”

“That’s okay, I understand.”

“No, it’s not okay. I…”

“What Oliver?”

“It’s just…” He hesitated again. “Felicity, I know there are times when what we do, our mission, if you want to keep doing this with me, with…”

“I do.” She answered quickly, interrupting him.

“…is going to have to come first.”

“Agreed.”

“But, I don’t want it always to come first.”

“Well, no…I guess I don’t want that either.”

“You are too important to me Felicity.”

She smiled at that.

“Hey, you’re taking a long time getting back here, is everything okay?”

“I decided to drive a bit.”

“Oh…okay.”

“Are we…” Felicity heard the insecurity in his voice, “…okay?”

She knew he was asking about the evening’s tumultuous events.

Felicity replied warmly, “We’re okay Oliver.”

He let out a breath he’d been holding and said, “Anyway, I know you’re tired. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes, of course…”

“Good night Felicity.”

“Night Oliver.”

Oliver put his hand up and turned off his com. The big man dressed in green leather, who’d put terror in the hearts of those men who were the worst of humanity, stood looking at the picture of the two pretty blonde women standing next to each other; the younger one wearing a black graduation gown, the older in a shocking pink cocktail dress. He took one last look, and then with a small, but tender smile on his face, gently touched the frame of the picture, turned off the small light on the nightstand, climbed through the window onto the fire escape, and closed it behind him.

Given what they now knew about who exactly Jeremy Nacht was, and despite Felicity’s confidence in him, that she still thought he was good; he hadn’t been able to relax until he’d done a sweep in and around Felicity’s apartment. Now, he sat on his bike in the shadows under a tree across the street, until he saw her go safely into her apartment for the night. Once he did, he’d head to the Foundry to change, and then to the mansion.

He’d resist the urge to go up and knock on the door. 

He’d resist because he knew that it was one of those nights where the darkness inside of him was making itself known, and it was better for her if it he just stayed to himself. Better for her, if he kept that part of him away from her, so it couldn’t touch her bright soul and dim her light, that light that was sometimes the only thing that made it possible for him carry on. 

He’d resist knocking and asking if he could please come in, if he could please enter into where he knew he’d found his home, the home that he only just realized he’d been looking for his whole life…the home that he had found in her.


	13. Speed Bumps and Other Love Languages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you THANK YOU, to everyone for their comments, and kudos, and to everyone reading. Just Thank you.
> 
> First, note that I'm changing the rating for this story to M. 
> 
> I'm not entirely convinced this chapter warrants that but, just to be safe...just for...words and...thoughts...I'm going to do so.
> 
> Okay so, a really long chapter. I thought about breaking it up but then realized, that would mess up the pace that I originally intended it to have.
> 
> The only other thing I'll say is that...
> 
> I am really nervous about this one.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 13 – Speed Bumps and Other Love Languages.

“Hello, this is Felicity.”

“Felicity.”

“Oh…. hello…Jeremy.”

Felicity’s stomach tightened up. Jeremy Nacht had called her on the office line…smart; she’d been ignoring his calls on her cell, since the possibility that he was Nick Night had emerged.

“Am I calling at a bad time? I know you must be busy since I keep missing you on your personal phone. I thought I’d try another route in case something was wrong with your phone.”

“Bathtub!” Felicity shouted out.

“Excuse me?”

“I dropped it in the bathtub, and it’s been glitchy ever since…I know, weird, right? Why would I have my phone in the bathtub with me…but I like to take baths, and you never know when you’ll get an important call and you wouldn’t want to have to run around naked trying to…GAH, I’ll stop now.” Really Felicity, she thinks, the best you could come up with is bathtub nakedness? Oliver’s perpetual inability to come up with plausible excuses was rubbing off on her.

Jeremy laughed softly. “Yes, that could be awkward.”

“Yep.”

“Anyway, I wanted to see if I could take you to dinner one night.”

Felicity heard voices, and looked up, and it was Oliver and John chatting as they came in the door. She felt herself turning red. Oliver looked at her with his eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.

“Er…I’m not sure Jeremy, my schedule has gotten pretty tight.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed, and shades of Arrow appeared in his eyes.

“Are you sure? Someone just recommended this new French Restaurant to me, I thought it would be fun to check it out, perhaps Friday evening?”

“Um…,” She paused, trying to think of an appropriate answer, but then, an idea popped into her head. “Wait…oh yes, actually, I think Friday would be fine.”

“Great. May I pick you up at your apartment?”

While Felicity was willing to take necessary risks, she wasn’t stupid, and letting a potential criminal learn where she lived, didn’t seem terribly smart, though of course if he was a criminal, he likely could anyway. She thought quickly and then said, 

“I have an engagement here at QC that won’t be over until 7, so could you collect me here?”

The words, ‘could you collect me here…,’ were barely out of her mouth before she heard the glass door between the two offices slam so hard, Felicity was sure they were going to break, she looked up when she heard another bang as a chair was thrown across a room. She was thankful at that moment, that theirs were the only offices on that floor.

“Of course. I’ll see you Friday evening.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Goodbye.”

Felicity leapt out of her chair so that she could go and wrangle down the bomb that had just detonated in the office next to hers.

“Before you throw the desk Oliver, let me explain.” She said quickly.

“What explanation is there Felicity?!? You just made a date, MADE A DATE?? With another man, which – yeah, that’s not happening. And the other man, IS LIKELY A CRIMINAL!!”

Huh, Felicity thought to herself, she didn’t know Oliver could get that red. She was trying to remember the signs that indicated someone was about to have a stroke. Given she was the one who read through Oliver’s medical reports, as he couldn’t be bothered, including the most recent physical done at the request of the QC Insurance providers, and she knew that no one on the planet had a better functioning cardiovascular system than he did, except maybe a marathoner or one of those Norwegian Olympic cross-country skiers…FOCUS FELICITY!!

“Stop going all Arrow-y caveman!! And listen to me…I have a plan.”

Oliver had begun pacing around the room clenching his fists.

John had retreated to the other side of the room, to lean against the wall, with his arms folded. Though he would never normally, put himself in between Oliver and Felicity in a disagreement of a personal nature, this discussion also had Arrow implications, which meant they involved him. And since it could be a while before Oliver was able to speak rationally, he stepped in.

“What plan Felicity?” John asked calmly.

Felicity stared at Oliver a minute before turning to John, “It came to me that while the search for offsite facilities could pop at any moment, we still aren’t going to know why he is doing this, what his plan is…and in turn, how dangerous he is…that is, what steps do we need to take. So, I thought, why don’t I try to pull it out of him somehow over dinner.”

“I CAN PULL IT OUT OF HIM!!”

“Don’t think we’re at the torture option quite yet Oliver.” John said, eyeing the big man who had murder in his eyes, trying, as he did so, to recall if he had ever won any of their sparing bouts, to determine his chance of success if he needed to put a lock hold on him. John was slightly bigger than him, and in strength they almost were evenly matched, but no one could beat Oliver for speed and agility.

John turned back to Felicity, “I’m listening.”

“I still think that even if Jeremy is Nick Night, he is still a good guy…I think he must have a good reason for why he’s doing this, but if we just snatch him up and interrogate him, we’re not going to find out that reason.” She looked at John, her eyes pleading with him to trust her.

John considered her words a minute and then said, “Felicity, as we’ve discussed previously, while it doesn’t seem that Nick Night is violent, we don’t really know for sure…and though your idea has merit, I’m just not sure it’s the safest way to go about this.”

“Thank you John!!” Oliver exclaimed.

“It will be if I am on comms, and you and Oliver are nearby.” She turned to Oliver. “I’m not stupid Oliver, I know how to take a calculated risk. And while I still think there is going to be a reasonable explanation for his actions, I will only do this if I feel safe, and if you two are backing me up, I will be.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, huffed, and growled, “It’s still not happening.” He then turned around and banged his fist on the plate glass window behind his desk.

“Okay, I think this is where I go check in with the security office,” said John as he slipped out of the room.

Oliver continued standing with his back to the room, looking out the window, every muscle flexed and vibrating with tension. Felicity, while thanking God that the window seemed to be angry Arrow proof, approached him slowly, as if she were trying to sneak up on a large predator in the jungle. She reached out tentatively and put a hand on his back. 

Even as angry as he was, just that small touch soothed Oliver, and he could feel a small part of his tension ease.

“Oliver.” He kept staring out the window. “Oliver, look at me.”

He turned his head and looked down at her, his face tense, but his eyes showing the things he had always shown her, affection, and concern.

“John warned me about this.”

“Warned you about what?”

“That the only problem he could foresee in terms of, ‘us,’…” Felicity gestured between them, “…and our mission, was if a situation arose where there was a chance I might be at risk.”

“Hmmppf.” Oliver grumbled. “And what wise words did he impart regarding if this were to happen?”

“He didn’t really have an answer. I said I thought we couldn’t know until a specific situation arose.”

Oliver didn’t reply.

“Oliver, you have to let me do this, and when I say ‘let,’ I am not referring to you ever LETTING me do anything, as in, you’re not the boss of me mister...” She stabbed her finger into his chest when she said this, and she saw that a very tiny smile ghosted across his lips at the small finger stabbing him, “…but, rather that concretely, yes, you are the boss of Team Arrow,” she whispered this last. “You do have final operational say on any mission. I trust you to make decisions regarding those operations, because I trust your experience and your expertise. I know that you are incredibly smart, and because of that I have confidence in your guidance and your decisions. I’m asking you to afford me the same respect and confidence.”

She then moved closer to him, stepping even further into his personal space so she had to tip her head all the way back as she spoke her next words, “But you have to let me do this in your heart. You have to accept that while yes, there is a new something between us that is so important, and even though it’s unfamiliar, and something we haven’t even fully defined yet, we still have to keep being who we have been. I am still a member of this team, and I am still going to do the things I can do to help this team, in the ways I think I can best do. I know you want to protect me, but you can’t just chain me up in the foundry because you have to keep me safe, no matter what it may cost the mission.” 

Oliver looked at her, took one of her hands in his, and said, “But I do have to keep you safe Felicity, I have to…because if I can’t keep you safe…the person who is the most important person to me, then what’s the point? What does it matter?” His eyes looked forlornly at her, begging her to understand.

She melted at the look in his eyes, but Felicity knew that this was a trial, a test between them; if they were going to be able to move forward, both as partners, and teammates, and…whatever else they were, she had to stand firm.

“The point is Oliver that we have to do the things that will keep everyone safe, and you need to know that if you are keeping everyone else safe, you are also keeping me safe.”

Felicity’s phone buzzed, she looked down to see it was the notice that their morning meeting was about to start. She looked through the glass doors into the board room to see that people were beginning to gather.

She looked back at Oliver, who was still staring at her intently.

“We need to go Oliver.”

He broke off his gaze, and looking down at his desk, nodded.

There was nothing more she could say right now. She knew Oliver would have to brood his way forward through this, instead she turned back to get her tablet…and they began their day.

\-------------------------------------------------

At the designated time, Oliver rode his bike over to where he’d told Roy he would meet him. As he rode, he kept returning to the conversation with Felicity. The overwhelming anger and fear that had overtaken him earlier in the day during the discussion, rather the argument, had eased a bit. He knew that he’d been over the top. Everyone always thought he was completely unflappable, and in almost every area of his existence, including his work, both his day and night jobs, and the way he went about them, he was. His actions were driven by strategy and precise thinking. But anything that threatened the safety of Felicity, terrified him, and destabilized that process. 

But she was right, when she said that he needed to respect her position on the team. And he did. He always did, without question. It was just that since he had allowed himself to feel, everything that he had felt since the first day he met her, that everything concerning her became heightened. Felicity was it; he knew this; the be all, end all of his existence. She was the piece he had been searching for since he returned from the island, and likely before the island, that was missing in him. But it was because of all of this, that the idea of her being in danger ever, even for a minute, was physically painful for him. However, he also knew who Felicity was, how she thought, how determined she was to do all she could do to help Oliver in his mission. 

He knew he could be overprotective toward those he cared about. But he couldn’t let those qualities, roll over into being controlling, because he knew the moment, he tried to control Felicity, was the moment he could lose her. So…he was going to have to let her do this, but…it was going to have to be according to what he, and John, thought was the safest way to do it. That was the only way he would be able to endure it.

“Well, here I am. What now?”

Oliver looked up to see Roy standing in front of him arms folded. He’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t heard him approach, which was both out of character and dangerous. 

The boy had his usual cocky and bullheaded expression on his face, but he saw in his eyes a glimmer of something else…curiosity? Hope? Oliver wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling that glimmer was the thing that was going to save Roy’s life.

“Now, we train.”

\-------------------------------------------------------

It was amazing how little could be said between two people who spent their day literally no more than 12 feet apart, and often much less. But somehow, she and Oliver had managed to avoid talking to one another the entire day at QC, following their disagreement, all while making a multi-billionaire corporation work. That evening, she and John had been in the lair, John working out while Felicity fine-tuned some of her side projects. They knew Oliver was meeting up with Roy that night, he’d left QC early and was already been gone by the time they got to the foundry. He was mostly off coms, other than to let them know that Roy had shown up, and he was doing some initial training with him, then heading to the mansion. He hadn’t come into QC at all yesterday, forcing Felicity to reschedule several meetings. John told her he had heard from him, so they knew he was okay. All he had said was he needed to take care of some things. She’d gone to the foundry last night, hoping she’d see him there, only for him not to show, just texting to say he was patrolling the waterfront, alone, a stunt which was a whole other level of ‘ways to piss off Felicity;’ going out without backup.

Felicity was trying not to lose it with Oliver given that he had virtually ignored her for over 48 hours. She had seen some signs of ‘her’ Oliver today, in his warm smile, a thank you for some papers he brought her, a light touch on the back of her hand, but other than when it was strictly necessary, he hadn’t really spoken to her.

She didn’t care though. She wasn’t sure they could continue this relationship if his default action was going to be to shut down, and to avoid, when they had a disagreement. She didn’t know if her heart could take it.

At the end of the day, she decided she couldn’t bear going to the foundry waiting to see if Oliver bothered to come there or check in, and when she was ready to leave QC, he was on the phone with someone. Instead of waiting for him to finish his conversation, she put on her coat, picked up her bag, and looked once through the glass, to see Oliver staring at her. Well, whatever…she was tired.

Felicity went to her apartment and after she had put on her pajamas, she tried to figure out what she was going to do to get through the evening. 

Then there was a knock on her door.

She had a feeling she knew who it was, and she wasn’t sure she was up to opening the door.

Felicity got up and walked to the door, as she did, she looked down and realized that once again, she wasn’t wearing a bra, but this sweatshirt was baggy enough that her ‘assets’ weren’t on display. Of course, given that the sweatshirt was baggy, she looked like a smallish sized potato.

She looked through the peep hole, and then with her forehead against the door she thought, why did God always want her to look her most unattractive and ridiculous before the high-class model looks of Oliver Queen.

Oliver stood there waiting, honestly, the way he had been treating Felicity, it would serve him right if she didn’t let him in, but…he also knew she would never be that unfair. The door opened and there stood the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

A small blonde girl in glasses wearing a sweatshirt with two strange looking robots eating popcorn and looking at a movie screen with a vampire on it. He felt his face break into a giant grin, and before he could stop himself said,

“Hey there cute girl.”

Felicity turned a deep pink and said, “hey.” She didn’t look at him, but rather just gestured with her hand for him to come inside.

“I thought I’d make up for our cancelled date the other night.”

Instead of an answering smile, Felicity just looked at him with a closed mouth and eyes that revealed hurt and…disappointment. Which hit him in the stomach harder than any punch he’d received when undergoing the vicious training by the Bratva.

“Oh Oliver.” Her bottom lip trembled just a bit, and while she wasn’t crying, her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. His heart was sinking with every moment that went by, and he realized he had vastly underestimated how badly he had screwed up. 

“I should have called first?”

“Yes, you should have called, I mean, I know we’re way past the idea of false notions of perpetual beauty, I mean, I’ve had to stitch up more wounds on you than I can count, and you’ve seen me wigged out on Diggle’s special aspirin with blood dripping down my shoulder, but someday I would like to invite you into my apartment not looking like I just walked out of a “What on Earth” catalog, I mean, how am I ever going to prove I possess any sort of sex appeal when you’re continually seeing me dressed like a 12 year old boy on a 48 hour D&D session…especially when you always look…,” She gestured with her hand to Oliver who was wearing a form fitting grey t-shirt and dark jeans that showed off just two of his amazing assets, “….like that.”

He started to apologize, “I’m sorry Felicity, but…” 

“But Oliver, it’s not just that…in fact, that’s not really the problem at all. You have ignored me for two days. TWO DAYS OLIVER!! I mean, I know you had some things to think about after our last conversation, but you cannot do this if you want to be in a relationship with me, you can’t just shut me out, that’s not how relationships work. But more importantly, it’s not how we work. I totally get that you are broody and need space but…I also know that we, not the idea of what we’re supposed to be, but just, we are a team, we….” And all of sudden she ran out steam and the words ceased to flow out of her mouth. She turned and plopped down on the couch, and just sat there with her arms crossed and her eyes closed.

Wow, thought Oliver…I am a total ass. He went into the kitchen and set the wine and pizza down on the counter. He went out to the living room, sat down on the couch next to Felicity, turned sideways to look at her, but kept space between them.

“Hey…” He said softly, “Can you look at me?”

She sat there with her eyes still closed and said, “Oliver, I don’t know if I can; because if I look at you, I will see your beautiful face, and it will look all soft and sweet as it always does when you look at me, and I will see your eyes…and I know you are using your “Felicity eyes,” and I will lose my rage, and I’m not sure I’m ready to do that.”

“Hmmm…Felicity eyes. Didn’t know I had those. Okay, you don’t have to look at me, but will you listen to me?”

Still not opening her eyes, Felicity nodded once.

Oliver took a deep breath, thought a moment about what he needed to say, what he wanted to say, because he knew it was vitally important to get this right.

“Thank you. First, I am so sorry I didn’t call first…it was stupid not to do so. I made assumptions about us that I shouldn’t have made, and I was very inconsiderate and thoughtless. Part of the reason, which I’m seeing was perhaps not the best way to think about this was, I just…well, I do just feel so comfortable with you that I didn’t even think.”

“Yeah, comfortable, that’s me.”

“Let me finish…yes, comfortable in that, you are just with me, always…I don’t think of you as apart from me, not that you aren’t very much your own person, who I respect and admire enormously, but just, your heart and soul and light are just…within me, I hold them close to me at all times.”

Felicity’s eyes few open at this and she began to look toward him.

“Nope, keep your eyes closed, I’m not done.”

She turned back facing forward and closed her eyes.

“I’m also so sorry that I shut you out, I am really bad at this, at relationships, but that’s not an excuse. I should have kept talking to you. I think I’ve gotten so used to just going within myself, and shutting the gates, when I have a problem, or something I need to work out, I don’t know how to do those two things at the same time, to keep communicating even though there is a problem that needs to be worked out, but I need to learn. I’ve been trying to do that, to learn, but as has been clearly demonstrated the last two days, I still have a way to go. But I hope you can forgive me because even though I keep screwing up, I keep trying to be better. I know it’s not your job to be my relationship tutor, but I just hope you will be patient with me because…” Oliver swallowed and his next words came out at a whisper, “…because I cannot lose you.”

Felicity turned quickly; looked directly at Oliver and said, “You aren’t going to lose me Oliver, I told you that before, you can’t ever lose me.” She placed her hand over his where it was resting on the sofa cushion.

He looked down at their hands. “I know I won’t lose you Felicity but, I know I could lose this.” He placed his other hand on top of hers. “I know I could lose what we…what we’re trying to become…to become to each other, before we even know for sure what it even is, and that scares me. So, I will try to be better, please believe me.”

Felicity sat there a moment just looking at their hands, then said,

“Oliver, I do believe you, I know you will. Really, I know that. You saying this? Acknowledging that you messed up, trying to talk to me about it? That’s you being better already. Just please, don’t shut me out. I know how difficult it is for you to open yourself up, to let people in…but for this to work, you have to let me in.” Felicity sat there another minute then said, “And don’t think I don’t understand that you are going to have times that you need to go into your head, to take a break. I absolutely get that. It’s just, maybe if you do, if you have those times, you can find a way to just check in with me…okay?”

Oliver nodded and leaned over, hesitant, waiting to see if Felicity would meet him halfway, if she wanted to meet him halfway. Which being Felicity, being all things fair and generous, she did. Oliver kissed her lightly on the lips, and while he wanted more, way more…he knew they still had some other things to resolve, so he gave her a small smile, squeezed her hand, and then leaned back. She did so as well, though this time she stayed with her body turned toward him and her eyes open.

His face tensed up just a bit then and his voice had a more serious tone as he said, “Regarding the other issue, as I’ve said before, I won’t apologize for wanting to keep you from harm, in any way that I can, but I will apologize for making you think I don’t see you as an equal member of the team, because I do, I absolutely do. You are my greatest asset, and you are beyond capable of assessing risk and making decisions you think best for your role and contributions.”

Felicity turned to him, opened her eyes, and asked hopefully, “so I can do this?”

He nodded and said, “yes, but with a lot of conditions.” 

“Thank you Oliver.” She put her hand over his. “I will be careful.”

“Yes, you will, and while no, I cannot ‘let’ you do this as your….,” here he stumbled a bit…not knowing quite what label to put on whatever this was, “I do insist, as the leader of the team, on you following whatever sort of measures I deem are necessary, and that if we cannot guarantee those measures, I will pull the plug.”

Felicity frowned and started to speak.

“This is non-negotiable Felicity, I recognize your choice to do this, but you have to also recognize my choices, and my expertise, as you mentioned a moment ago, to determine if it is a reasonable risk v. reward scenario.”

She sat there a minute thinking. She knew, she really did, that this was huge for Oliver; for him to agree to her doing something like this, since their status and the dynamic between them had changed, that potentially put her in danger. He had really stepped out of his comfort zone to do this, so she should recognize and honor that. So, she nodded and said, “Okay, so how do you want to handle this?”

“Digg and I have worked out the details, and we’ll have a meeting to go over them tomorrow…but right now, I want to talk about something more important.”

“What’s that?” She couldn’t imagine what he was talking about.

Oliver scooted a bit closer, albeit slowly and carefully since he wasn’t completely sure of his welcome. He slid his arm slowly along the back of the couch behind Felicity’s neck.

“The fact that you are definitely NOT a twelve-year-old boy…” He leaned over, hesitated a minute, waiting to see what Felicity would do, and as she leaned her body toward him, he bent over and put his lips on hers…

Felicity thought, yet again, he is a really good kisser...but more importantly, she was also thinking about the way he had listened to what she had said, what had upset her, and the way that he had responded to her concerns and hurt. It had taken him longer, way longer, than it should have but, she knew Oliver’s emotional framework was incredibly damaged, truly so, therefore, she was always willing to give him a lot of leeway. She recognized that despite his larger-than-life façade as ‘Oliver Queen, CEO/Playboy,’ and absolute confidence in his abilities as The Arrow, to fight, and to protect his city and those he loved, he had a fragile and wounded self-image.

What had been intended to be just a warm, not over the top, kiss, for Oliver…just to make sure Felicity understood how he saw her, and to try to move past what had happened, and well also…just because he really wanted to kiss her; turned quickly into something else entirely, which had both to do with how hopelessly overwhelmed he was by how he felt about Felicity, and how incredibly sexy he thought she was, especially when she was wearing a sweatshirt that had robots on the front. He leaned further into her, and without realizing exactly what was happening, he suddenly found himself lying on top of Felicity, as she leaned back against the arm of the sofa.

He lifted his head and pulled back a moment to look at Felicity’s face, she was wearing a warm and welcoming smile, and soft eyes behind her glasses. She reached up her hands and put them on either side of his face; he grabbed one of her hands, held up one forefinger, then reached out and gently took off her glasses and put them on the table behind her head. He didn’t think her smile could get any bigger; he was wrong.

Felicity reached up and pulled Oliver’s beautiful face down to hers. Kissing Oliver Queen really was one of the best activities on the planet…and doing so while having his exceptionally large, very warm, body pressing her into her sofa, was just a whole other level of fantastic. He had shifted a bit, so he was lying more fully on top of her, and she could feel every bit of him, the heavy weight of him on top of her felt better than anything she had ever imagined.

As Oliver settled his body into Felicity’s, trying to keep some weight on his elbows to keep from crushing her because she was so small…she was so very small beneath him, all he could think about was how he wanted to protect her with all that he had. This small slip of a woman had him completely in her control, she did, even though he had fought her on this whole thing, he’d had to, he couldn’t lose her, ever. But then all thoughts of the mission, Nacht, their argument, went away as his hips slid between hers and he felt himself…pressed up against her pelvis. Oh my God, he had never felt like this, like he was where he belonged, more than he did at that moment.

Felicity felt his hand move to the side of her rib cage, pretty much covering the whole of the side of her torso…with one thumb reaching up and lightly grazing the underside of her breast, over the fabric of her shirt.

As he did so, Oliver mumbled against her lips, something that sounded like, “no bra again…thank you.”

“What was that?” Felicity pulled back and asked in an amused yet breathless voice.

Oliver lifted his head, turned slightly pink, and said, “um…no bra again?”

Felicity blushed a bit herself and said, “Oh, so you noticed that the other night?”

“Er, I did and…” he stopped.

“And what?”

“And…it’s pretty much been what has gotten me through all the shareholders meetings this week.”

“Oliver!”

Oliver looked not at all remorseful. Instead, he just smirked a bit, but then his eyes got darker, and his arms tightened around her small frame, he lowered his head and began kissing up the side of her neck, and as he did so, said, “Felicity, there are many images of you that I hold in my head that have greatly contributed to my seeming success as a CEO.”

He stopped a minute. “Wait, that sounded wrong.”

“Hmmppff.” Felicity grunted.

“Is it wrong?”

She smiled, and with a smile that spoke of a confidence she’d never felt before, she shook her head. She never imagined in her life that Oliver Queen would ever be fantasizing about her.

Oliver grinned widely and said, 

“Good.” 

He went back to what he was doing, but then moved his hand underneath her sweatshirt, and slid his hand up her ribcage. His large hand, so strong and callused, smoothed gently over her abdomen and his thumb once again stroked the underside of her breast…but this time, it found nothing but bare skin.

Oliver had scooted down the couch a bit and had pushed up the bottom of her shirt and begun to kiss the soft skin of her abdomen, but as he was about to move further up, Felicity took his hand. He immediately halted, gave a final kiss to Felicity’s bare stomach, and then rested his forehead upon it.

“Oliver, as much as I want to continue this, and I REALLY want to continue this…I don’t think we’re there yet.”

Oliver raised his head, resting his chin on her firm stomach, and looked up at her with the darkest blue eyes. He lay there staring into her eyes a minute, gave a last kiss to her belly, and then pushed himself up and away from her, letting out a big sigh and scrubbing his hands over his head and face.

“I know.”

Felicity watched him as his shoulders slumped.

“Oliver, I’m not mad anymore, truly.”

He looked at her and gave her a small smile.

“But…” he said softly.

“But we still have to face that the first real speed bump we’ve hit since we started this, your default was to pull up the drawbridge, into your “Island of solitude,” leaving me on the other side.”

Oliver sat up straighter and slid back away from her just a bit, but he kept a hand on her leg as if he had to stay connected to her. 

Felicity noticed that he still couldn’t stop touching her; he was massaging her calves and had one large hand circled around her ankle. Then she asked,

“You aren’t mad at me?”

Oliver looked at her face, her brow was furrowed a bit…and her eyes looked anxious. He leaned over and put his palm on the side of her face, and she leaned into it, almost instinctually. He pressed his forehead to hers, and said, “Felicity, I am anything but mad. How could I be? You are everything to me, and I just want you to be comfortable with all of this.”

Her small shoulders relaxed, and she pressed a light kiss to his lips, then sat back again.

Oliver gently stroked the soft skin of Felicity's ankle, good lord, was she soft everywhere? Okay, that was a thought that really wasn’t helping him as he was trying to calm down. But then he asked,

“So…where does that leave us?”

Felicity sat there a minute, and then said, “It leaves us with pizza, wine, and the inaugural meeting of the Oliver Queen pop culture education program.”

Oliver chuckled softly, smiled at her, and said, “Okay then, what’s the first assignment?”

Felicity said, “Winter is coming my friend, Winter is coming.”

She hopped up and went into the kitchen. As Oliver watched her walk away, he thought that once again, Felicity Smoak had reached out, pulled him back from the edge of darkness, and brought a bright light into an uncomfortable moment.

As he sat back and relaxed, trying not to groan at how insanely comfortable this couch was, he also thought to himself…that same Felicity Smoak was going to learn, in the not-too-distant future, that Oliver Queen was over the top, forever and ever, completely in love with her.

Very, very soon….


	14. Will The Vigilante In The Back Please Quiet Down?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...here you go, the latest...
> 
> Thank you so, so much - I know I am repeating myself, but it just bears repeating, thank you to everyone who is reading, commenting, and kudoing - I REALLY appreciate it.
> 
> Forewarning - This is another long one...
> 
> Just an FYI - IF YOU'VE ALREADY READ THE CHAPTER, I AM ALTERING THIS NOTE...if you haven't, well...nothing new here.
> 
> I wanted to let you know, there will be just two more chapters after this one...so, the end is nigh.
> 
> For now though,
> 
> Enjoy!!

Chapter 14 –Will The Vigilante In The Back Please Quiet Down?

Felicity sat sipping a latte at her desk waiting for Oliver to arrive, thinking about the fact that she didn’t know what time he had left her apartment last night. She remembers lying on her couch, the third episode of Game of Thrones playing, with Oliver behind her, between her and the back of the couch. She’d had her head pillowed on his bicep, his really big bicep; he’d had his other arm curled around her waist, while he snored softly in her ear. Yeah, popular culture was never going to be his thing…which was fine...he had plenty of other really good things…um, interests, rather.

The next thing she knew, she had awoken this morning in her bed, under the covers, with her glasses off. So, Mr. Queen must have tucked her in before he left. She smiled at that thought.

Her stomach was feeling a bit twitchy with nervous anticipation at what was ahead. Oliver had a meeting with the QC PR Director this morning. He had texted her to tell her that he’d had a call from the woman on his way in this morning. She wasn’t sure what that was about since unusually, they had gone directly to him to schedule it…which meant they didn’t want Felicity involved. Hmmm…all she could figure is it was about family stuff though what exactly that would be she couldn’t imagine. Thea had been keeping to herself of late, Moira was primarily working behind the scenes at her various charitable works, rarely seen at any events, unless they were put on by QC, such as the recent gala. And well, Oliver hadn’t punched any paparazzi lately.

Well, whatever…she was certain Oliver would tell her what it was; there weren’t too many things he kept to himself, oh other than almost the entirety of five years of his life, that is. In the meantime, she had plenty of things to work on, she always had more things to work on than she had time to accomplish, which generally made her very happy. But she was still more than able to keep the stream of anxious thoughts going through her head regarding the upcoming evening, and whatever Oliver and John had planned. They were, per usual, running late and the PR director was due in about twenty minutes…and there they were.

Oliver walked in, wearing his usual shades of grey suit. His personal shopper was a genius, keeping him in basically the same-colored suit, so the paps were less interested in taking pictures of him every single minute and doing so with a color scheme that if they did snap a picture, he would look his absolute best…though the chances of him looking bad at any time, wearing anything, were slim to none, something she knew for a fact since she’d yet to see him look anything other than completely gorgeous and she’d seen him in a wide variety of states of being and dress.

“Good morning Felicity.” Oliver smiled, his face a blend of happy to see her, mixed with grim determined mission face. He knew he needed to focus on the evening’s plans, but seeing her cheerful face, in a brightly colored dress, and her pink lipstick, just made his spirits lift. When he’d put her to bed last night, it had been very difficult to leave. She looked so beautiful and sweet, he just wanted to lie down behind her and curl up around her while she slept. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep on the couch. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt relaxed enough to fall asleep with someone else in the room. But that’s what Felicity did, she soothed him, and comforted him, and made him happier than he deserved. 

“Good morning Mr. Queen, Good morning John.” Diggle was right behind him.

“May we have a word with you before my first meeting?”

“Of course.” Felicity grabbed up her tablet and followed them into Oliver’s office.

Oliver put his things down on his desk as John went to stand next to him. Oliver gestured with his hand for them to move to the small seating area next to his desk.

“So, what are we talking about?” Felicity asked. Though she of course knew already, she just couldn’t stand not getting on with things. 

John stood a minute and then as Oliver nodded to him, he began to speak…which was interesting, thought Felicity. John was sometimes in the lead in terms of mission security planning, but she had a feeling Oliver had chosen specifically to have him explain so that it wouldn’t be her…whatever they were, telling her, and instead, it was simply a member of the team, briefing another member of the team. She was very impressed with Oliver’s decision, and really appreciated it. She gave a small smile to Oliver, who returned it with a nod, before turning to John.

“So, good thinking on your part, asking Nacht to pick you up here… 1. We can eliminate one possibility of him knowing your address, though of course as I’m sure you’ve already thought of it, he could still find out if he chose to do so. 2. We have more control of the evening right from the start, and 3. Given it’s downtown, we have more opportunity for concentrated surveillance than we do at your apartment, which is in a small neighborhood, more open space, fewer blind alleys etc.…”

“Well thank you John.”

“We’ll all be on comms of course, and…” here’s when John glanced sideways at Oliver, so Felicity knew what was coming was something that she was not going to like, “…and I will be acting as your bodyguard for the evening.”

“What!?!” Felicity yelled, loud voice very much in evidence, “How on earth is that going to work? First, you’re supposed to be Mr. Queen’s ‘bodyguard,’ and second of all, how likely is it that he’s going to give up any useful information if I’ve got my own personal Iron Giant with me, and thirdly, you’re supposed to be MR. QUEEN’S BODYGUARD, so why ON EARTH would you be acting as mine? What possible reason can I give that will come close to explaining this?!? WHO EXACTLY IS GUARDING MR. QUEEN IF YOU ARE GUARDING ME?!?” Felicity finished up in her extra loud voice.

John stared at her, unmoved by her outburst, and just waited patiently for her to finish.

“Got that all out?” John asked calmly.

“Maybe, but I’m not making any promises.” Felicity grumbled.

Oliver was trying really hard not to laugh, but a disgruntled Felicity was a funny and adorable Felicity. She seemed to have understood though, about why John was briefing her. John had agreed with him, when they’d discussed it yesterday, that this would be the best way to handle these sorts of things going forward, for all their sakes, but particularly for Felicity and Oliver’s relationship, which John supported wholeheartedly. 

“First of all, we’re going to say that Oliver is at a family dinner, so not in need of protection as he is safely at the Mansion. And that Mr. Queen is concerned about the uptick in violent crime in the city in recent weeks, and as you are highly valued, offered my services to you for the evening.”

“Wow, that is really thin. This is not going to work John.”

“I’m not going to ride in the car with you, because I’m sure Nacht’s own driver is also his body man, a REAL body man, not a pretend one…” John looked at Oliver, half bemusedly and half annoyed, “…but rather I will be in a tail car. So, there should still be ample opportunity for you to do your thing then, in the car, as well as at the restaurant.” 

“But…but…” Here Felicity sputtered, as she could not come up with the words she wanted at this hair brained scheme.

“Non-negotiable Felicity, remember?” It was the first time Oliver had spoken since John had started going over the security plan. She turned and looked him in the eyes, which were completely open to her, but also reflecting a steely resolve.

She knew he was trying to honor his promise, offered in the conversation last night, to treat her as he had before, as an equal and contributing member of the team. Felicity needed to be fair and to acknowledge that, to abide by her side of the agreement and to accept his decisions as team leader.

She took a deep breath and then said, “Fine.” But then she kept looking at him and asked, “Where are you going to be?”

“Oh, I’ll be around.” Which she knew meant The Arrow would be following them by way of the city’s rooftops.

“In order to maintain Oliver’s anonymity, if it comes to that, I will, for now, be just as shocked as Jeremy is, should the Arrow need to become involved.”

Felicity hated to admit it, but within the parameters that she and Oliver and discussed, it was a good plan, other than the fact that she had to carry on the whole evening as if she were still interested in Jeremy, while simultaneously probing him for an admission he likely didn’t want to give, all with John and Oliver listening into the whole thing.

Yep. It was going to be a fantastic evening.

There was a light rap on the glass, they looked up to see the QC’s harried PR head waving at them.

“Okay, that’s my cue to leave.” John began walking toward the door.

“Mine too actually,” Felicity stood up, “Oliver do you have any idea what she wants to discuss?”

“Nope, not a clue.”

“Huh. Oh well...” Felicity opened the door, and gestured toward Oliver’s office, her professional smile on her face. “Good morning Ms. Howard, please come in, we were just going over Mr. Queen’s schedule for today.”

Ms. Howard, who was usually a very friendly person, only gave a brief glance toward Felicity, before she walked into Oliver’s office, turned, and firmly shut the door behind Felicity and John.

“Okay, that was weird.”

“See you later?”

“See you later John.” She paused,” And thank you, I don’t mean to be difficult, it’s just…”

“I get it Felicity, but you need to realize that he is really trying.”

“I know.”

“I’m not sure you do, not completely. You are the most important person in his life, and it’s taking every ounce of will power for him not to lock you in a vault somewhere so he can keep you safe.”

Felicity tilted her head to the side as she looked thoughtfully at him, “Not sure if it’s that bad John.”

He looked at her a moment and then said, “Oh it is, it definitely is.”

With that John turned and headed out the doors, and Felicity sat at her desk only glancing quickly to see Oliver’s face which was…my goodness, turning red, not as red as it had when she had proposed her date with Jeremy, but in that same palette, and oh no…ARROW FACE, ARROW FACE!! She felt like she should have a red button under her desk to warn him that he was deploying that sucker.

Oh well, not a lot she could do right now.

\---------------------------------------------------

Felicity stepped off the executive elevator, feeling a bit off kilter. She had changed in the ladies’ room from her work clothes to something more suitable for a Friday evening at a fancy French restaurant. She’d been very deliberate in her choice of clothing. Sensing that Oliver always liked seeing her in the bright and cheerful colors she normally wore, she’d deliberately chosen a midnight blue heavy silk sheath, and she was wearing a very muted soft shaded lipstick, not the bright pinks she loved…this wasn’t a date, it wasn’t the right billionaire, and she didn’t want to feel like herself.

Oliver had seen her coming back into her office and gone up to her on his way out. She’d asked him what the PR director had said, his face had shuttered and all he’d said was, ‘later.’ So, she had a feeling it was something she was not going to like.

He was about to leave, when he stopped and looked her up and down, the tension in his body, and the anxiety she sensed, coming from him in palpable waves. But before going, he stepped forward inside her personal space, he put his hand behind her neck, leaned over and put his forehead to hers. He was so close that she could feel the heat of his body radiating toward her.

He had lifted his head, looked directly into her eyes and said, ‘You look beautiful…. but you don’t look like my Felicity.’ He had taken her hand and lifted it up…and said, ‘But…thank you for showing that you are.’ He’d then put a soft kiss on the hand that he was holding, that had a vibrant dark green on the nails. Then he’d just kissed her lightly on the cheek and strode off. 

Perhaps she should have been indignant at his words, the implication that she was ‘his’ anything, but she wasn’t. Because she was his, as he was hers…and because they were each other’s, he had known exactly why she had dressed as she had, and the reason for her choice in nail color.

She walked toward the atrium that was the lobby of QC, and she saw John standing there in his requisite bodyguard black suit.

“Miss Smoak, you look lovely.” John smiled at her and nodded.

She knew he was trying to bolster her courage, which she appreciated. They had all gone over the details one last time before she’d gone to change, and each had their comms in their ears, which was partially why she had worn her hair down, instead of her usual ponytail, or up in something elegant.

“Thank you, John.” She replied, fighting to keep the nervous tremor out of her voice.

“It’ll be okay, we got you.”

Felicity simply nodded. Just then the big glass doors swung open, and there was Jeremy, looking elegant in a dark blue suit.

He came forward with a big smile on his face, damn, she was almost certain he was a good guy, a feeling which was partly responsible for her nerves. She really hated deceiving him, he’d been nothing but kind to her, in spite of her flakiness, and her stalker boss who had crashed their lunch date.

His smile dimmed a bit when he saw John, and he looked slightly perplexed.

“Felicity, you look ravishing.” He walked up and kissed her cheek, fortunately on the opposite cheek from where Oliver had just kissed her (chill Felicity, it’s just skin) …what was the deal with men kissing cheeks, was it supposed to be like, less invasive? More romantic? But eww, she’d never heard anyone actually use the world ravishing it just sounded weird. and GOOD GOD, how long had they been standing there while she went on one of her mental wanderings. Long enough that she saw John was standing there staring at her intently, and Jeremy’s look was morphing from pleasant to even more perplexed to irritated. See, that’s the difference Oliver never looked irritated with her when he knew she was on a Felicity mental meandering, which actually could get worse when she was REALLY nervous…as she was now. He would just wait for her to come out of it. She began to give herself a mental shake when she heard a deep voice saying,

“Um Felicity, honey, do you think you can rejoin the group now?”

She jumped. She’d kind of forgotten Oliver was there in her ear.

“Oh, um...yes, thank you Jeremy, you look nice as well.” And pulling herself together finally she said, responding to his confusion, “You remember Mr. Diggle, right? Mr. Queen’s bodyguard?”

“Yes of course.” He reached out and shook John’s hand, “Though I’m a little confused to why he’s here.”

“Good evening Mr. Nacht. Mr. Queen is concerned about the recent increase in violent crimes in the downtown area, and given Miss Smoak’s high profile, and high value, as his Executive Assistant, he asked me to provide some additional security for her, and you, of course.”

“Well, that’s very generous of Mr. Queen,” Jeremy responded, looking highly dubious as to whether in fact this was a gesture of generosity. “But may I ask, if you are here, who is guarding Mr. Queen?”

“He’s at a family function at the Queen Mansion and the security there is impenetrable.” John said this so emphatically, Felicity felt like there was some sort of point he was trying to make.

“I really feel like we’re putting you to a lot of trouble Mr. Diggle, I mean, I do have my own bodyguard with me.”

Felicity smiled internally. Oliver didn’t need to take along his bodyguard on a date…of course, Oliver was pretty much his own security force all rolled into one, FANTASTIC body. STOP THAT Felicity, NOT appropriate. 

But then she heard in her ear, “Douchebag, who carries their bodyguard on a date.”

“Not helping.” Felicity muttered under breath.

“I’m sorry, did you say something Felicity?”

She shook her head and smiled.

John continued, “Not to worry Mr. Nacht, it’s no trouble. And if you have any concerns regarding your privacy, I’ll be in a separate car behind you. Mr. Queen just wanted me to be available should anything unexpected arise.”

Looking very slightly mollified, Jeremy turned from John, and said, “Well then Felicity, should we be off?” And he stepped next to her and placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her toward the doorway.

\-------------------------------------------

Oliver stood high above on the roof of Queen Consolidated, watching Felicity get into Nacht’s black town car. His gut clenched as she went out of sight, and it took every ounce of will power not to swing down and grab her upward away from him. He tapped lightly on a button making the comm two way between he and John. He hated to do it, even for a minute, but he wanted to know John’s impressions of Nacht.

“John.” He could hear the click that turned the comm two way.

“Oliver, I thought we were meant to be with Felicity.”

“We are, I just wanted to ask you what you thought of Nacht.”

“Well, based on the all of five minutes I just spent with him, my gut says Felicity may be right, and that he isn’t our guy, or if he is…there is a good reason behind what he’s doing. I think he could be alright. Felicity’s instincts are usually spot on, I’d be surprised if she got it wrong here.”

Oliver sighed, “I know…”

“And it is killing you isn’t? That the guy currently alone with Felicity may not be a bad guy up to no good, that you can shoot an arrow into, and/or ‘interrogate,’ but rather is just a guy who is attracted to a beautiful and smart woman.”

Oliver could hear the amusement in John’s voice.

“Not funny John.”

“Oh, it is Oliver, you just have to see it.”

“Well, in case you and Felicity are wrong, we’d better get back to her, and oh if you sense for even a second that something isn’t right?”

“I will be on him before he can take his next breath. Don’t worry Oliver, I’ve got out girl.”

“I know you do.”

“Okay then…” They both tapped and heard, “…yes, I was actually 20 when I graduated with a dual master’s degree from MIT in Computer Science and Cyber security.”

Felicity heard the telltale click to know her two shadows had come back in, though what they had been doing, she wasn’t sure.

“How on earth did you end up settling for an Executive Assistant job when clearly, you are extremely gifted and incredibly overqualified to spend your days answering emails and getting coffee.”

“Well for one thing, I don’t get coffee…ever.”

She heard a chuckle in her ear, “For another, Mr. Queen asked me…” Felicity paused over the word ‘asked’ slightly, as there had been no asking involved, “…personally if I would mind helping him out as he took up the reins following the events of last year.” She finished discretely.

She hated Oliver having to hear any reference to the immoral actions of Moira, so she moved on quickly to say, “Oliver admitted that he had a lack of skills and knowledge in the area of technology both in terms of being CEO of a company with a large tech division, and due to his…time away, and the change in computing and the internet that occurred, so therefore he would appreciate having expert guidance close at hand.” 

Listening to that, Oliver realized that was what he should have said to her, instead of just “promoting” her, but hadn’t. He was the most selfish jerk on the planet. He’d suspected it before, but now he knew for sure.

“Well, I can see that, though still, it seems he could have given you something more in keeping with your talents and background, such as a Directorship or even VP?”

Again, Oliver regretted how he had gone about the whole thing, why DIDN’T he do something like that? He’d really just been thinking of his own needs, and the fact that he wanted Felicity to be as close as she possibly could…but, once they came out the other end of this…

Felicity was tired of Oliver having to listen to this. “Yes, well, I was happy to help out. Oliver, I mean, Mr. Queen, has been through a lot, like a way, way a lot, and I wanted to do anything I could to help, I still do. I know Oliver values me, and my abilities, likely far more than anyone gives him credit for doing. I’m exactly where I need to be.”

Oliver’s heart melted at her defense of him, and his bone-headed way of doing things. 

“But enough about me…,” Felicity began to try to move the conversation away from herself.

“One last thing though, you are obviously very loyal to Mr. Queen, but should you ever feel like you want to make a change, I would be thrilled to offer you a position at CK.”

Oliver felt his jealousy rise, but then, it went away at her quick response.

“Thank you, Jeremy, I appreciate that, but…I’m very happy where I am.”

“Okay, but the offer stands.”

They moved on to make small talk until they arrived at the restaurant, by which time Oliver was ready to jump out of his skin from being forced to listen to Jeremy doing his very best to ‘flirty-flirt’ with her, as Felicity would have described it....

Before they had even come to a complete stop, he could see that John, was already on the sidewalk, opening the door for Felicity and in position to block any would be attack.

They went in and were seated at a small table in a secluded alcove. Felicity was just putting her napkin in her lap when she heard, “Um, spy girl, do you intend to do any interrogating at any point, or are you just here for the Bordeaux?”

“Hold your horses green leather man,” Felicity muttered.

“Green Leather man? That’s a new one.”

“Did you say something Felicity?”

“Just commenting on the view,” which was nothing more than the ever present dark and rainy streets of Starling City.

“Oh…okay.”

Once the waiter had brought their wine and taken their order, Felicity asked,

“So, Jeremy, what kind of work does CK’s Tech division do? I mean, if I were to consider making a move from QC to your company, I’m curious about what sort of projects I’d be overseeing.”

Jeremy hesitated a moment, then said, “Well, unfortunately, much of our work is either proprietary, or top secret, so…since you do work for the enemy, so to speak, as CEO, it likely would not be in my best interest for me to share that information…at least for now.” He winked at her.

Why did Jeremy’s wink just seem skeevy but when Oliver, did it was swoony…SWOONY?!? Where did that come from? She shook her head and then said, 

“Of course, but surely you could give me some sort of broad description of the scope of work? I mean, I may not even be interested in the sorts of things you do.”

Felicity heard John in her ear, “Good girl, that’s got him.”

But Jeremy was a cool customer, “Believe me, the little bit I’ve learned about you so far…”

“Learned?” Felicity raised her eyebrows alarmingly, what could he have learned about her?

“What could he have learned about you.” Oliver voiced that same question.

“I mean, have observed about you, I’m confident our work would interest you.”

“Hmmm…; well perhaps…but perhaps not.” Felicity purred, purred? Really what does that even mean. Felicity’s head was starting to hurt trying to keep up with the fifteen different conversations she was involved with, the one with Jeremy, the one with Oliver and John, with the waiter, and with herself…which, yeah, that’s not weird.

“Were you trying to sound seductive?” Oliver asked her, half laughingly, half cranky.

“Can you excuse me a minute Jeremy?” Felicity stood from up from the table and threw down her napkin…she could feel steam start to come out of her ears.

“Of course.” He rose from his seat.

She picked up her purse and walked toward the back of the restaurant to the lady’s room.

As soon as she turned the corner into the hallway, she started in the whisper version of her loud voice, “Would you two PLEASE shut up??!!??” At that very moment, a waiter passed her, looking perplexedly at her, “Oh not you…you…oh, just carry on.” She waved her hand at the very confused person. She went into the lady’s room; grateful it was a single. “This is hard enough without having a minute-to-minute critique of my every move by the PEANUT GALLERY!!”

She heard two sheepish voices, “Sorry.”

“Yeah, sorry Felicity.”

“I think I am safe enough here in the restaurant, unless he’s planning to do away with me in between the appetizers and the entrees, so would you both kindly turn off comms, until we are ready to leave? John will know exactly when that happens, so I will be perfectly fine.”

“Um….” John stammered.

“No.” Oliver said clearly.

“John, can you please give us a moment?”

“Sure.”

“Oliver, you have got to take a breath.”

“I won’t Felicity. I won’t take a breath, not until you are safely away from him, and I will not turn off comms,” he said stubbornly.

Amazing how a billionaire CEO vigilante could suddenly sound like a two-year-old child, Felicity thought to herself.

“Oliver…I’ll be fine. I promise, and if something happens, I still have my panic button and the tracker in my phone, and I assume you attached another one to my coat? She asked gently.

“I might have…” He said quietly.

“And I appreciate that you did. But seriously Oliver, I’m trying to concentrate, and find out what we need to know, and it’s really hard to do so while you continue talking in my ear. Do you see that?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay then, really it’ll be fine, and the quicker I can pay attention to what I’m doing, and ask the right questions, the quicker I can be done with this.”

“Okay, Felicity, but the minute you even start to put your coat back on, comms are returning.”

“That’s fine.”

“Just be careful Felicity. I can’t….” He paused, “…I can’t have anything happen to you.”

“I know.” With that she turned and left the restrooms, and she heard the click of the comms being turned off.

“Everything okay?” Jeremy asked when she returned to the table.

“Yes of course.” She realized she’d been in there longer than she had thought. “I’m really…, I’m fine, I didn’t stay in the bathroom. For any reason. I mean, not any reason you think you’d stay in the bathroom too long.” Oh my God, maybe she did need her personal coaching staff in her ear she thought, but then she saw a strange expression on Jeremy’s face, and told herself to just shut up. “Just you know…gathering my thoughts, and…what not.” What not???? Seriously?

“Okay, as long as nothing’s wrong.”

“Nope, right as rain, though why rain is right I have no idea because for me, rain is never right, of course then…why do I live in Starling, one could ask…” She drifted off trying to still her tongue, she decided the only way that would happen was to stick something into it, so she took a bite of the salmon she had ordered.

After that, Felicity tried to return to her questions about CK, but she didn’t have any luck. She had a funny feeling that the tone of the evening had shifted, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. She tried to go over in her head if she’d made any mistakes, well other than usual Felicity babble, but she couldn’t think of anything. Jeremy wasn’t interested in dessert, which was fine with Felicity as it seemed her plan had failed, she was just as happy to get the evening over with, and to head home. As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, she heard the comms come back on. 

Oliver asked, “Anything?”

She shook her head at John, as he stood holding her door, he nodded briefly at her, and saw him moving his lips as he moved back to his car, likely telling Oliver she had let them down. She suddenly felt exhausted, the taut anticipation of the entire day, then having to engage in communicating in such a way, she just wanted it done. She was about to say to Jeremy that she’d enjoyed the evening, when she looked up out of her window and realized they weren’t on their way back to QC. She’d told Jeremy that Mr. Diggle would be giving her a ride home, but then he had insisted on at least seeing her back to QC…which, now that she thought about it, was a bit odd.

She turned to Jeremy to ask him where they were going when he spoke.

“This has been such a lovely evening Felicity. I hate for it to end, I thought maybe we could go to a special little place I know and have a night cap.”

“This wasn’t on the itinerary Felicity, what’s going on.” She heard John say.

“Felicity, you need to head back to QC.”

“Thank you Jeremy, but I’m really awfully tired, I think I need to call it a night.”

She looked out and saw they were heading deep into The Glades, not too far from where the foundry was located.

“Oh no, I insist Felicity.” He said smilingly. “I really have been so impressed with you Felicity, with everything I had learned about you, your background. Everyone knows that Oliver Queen is an incompetent idiot…it’s only after spending time with you that I’ve come to truly understand that you are the real brains behind QC. The only thing is, I still underestimated you.”

Felicity began to offer a sharp rebuke of Jeremy’s words, saying angrily, “Oliver Queen is one of the most intelligent men I’ve…” She stopped though when she saw Jeremy typing on his arm rest. 

Then the car sped up, and Jeremy reached out his hand toward Felicity, like he was going to caress her face, when he suddenly....

…reached toward her and ripped out her comm link.

“Who are you working with Felicity? FBI? NSA? Or are you simply a corporate spy? You think I don’t recognize when someone is using a comm link?” Jeremy sneered.

Felicity turned her head to look out the window, then looked back at him and said,

“Oh wow, you have no idea what you have just done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t hate me for the cliff hanger! 
> 
> 😉😉
> 
> Thanks again for reading and see you next time!


	15. Secret Identities Can Be So Confusing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All.  
> Thank you so much again, for all your kudos, comments, and for taking the time to read this story. It just makes me so happy.  
> So – there is good news and there is semi-bad news.
> 
> The good news:  
> You’re getting the next chapter a little early.  
> I thought I’d do so since I left the previous one on a cliff hanger, which I know for me – can be awful.  
> The semi-bad news is – You’re going to have to wait a bit longer than usual for the next one…a few reasons.  
> 1\. It is longer than any of the previous ones have been.  
> 2\. It is REALLY important, and I want to make sure I get it just right.  
> BUT – some other good news.  
> When I post it, you will get very soon after…a bonus, which I will explain after the next chapter.  
> Just a reminder, next week is the FINAL chapter. 😬 
> 
> But for now…  
> Here is the next chapter, entering the scene already in progress. ;-D  
> Please Enjoy!

Chapter 15 – Secret Identities Can Be So Confusing

Previously…

“Oh no, I insist Felicity.” He said smilingly. “I really have been so impressed with you Felicity, with everything I had learned about you, your background. Everyone knows that Oliver Queen is an incompetent idiot…it’s only after spending time with you that I’ve come to truly understand that you are the real brains behind QC. The only thing is, I still underestimated you.”

Felicity began to offer a sharp rebuke of Jeremy’s words, saying angrily, “Oliver Queen is one of the most intelligent men I’ve…” She stopped though when she saw Jeremy typing on his arm rest. 

Then the car sped up, and Jeremy reached out his hand toward Felicity, like he was going to caress her face, when he suddenly....

…reached toward her and ripped out her comm link.

“Who are you working with Felicity? FBI? NSA? Or are you simply a corporate spy? You think I don’t recognize when someone is using a comm link?” Jeremy sneered.

Felicity turned her head to look out the window, then looked back at him and said,

“Oh wow, you have no idea what you have just done.”

NOW – Continuing on….

“What do you mean…” As Jeremy spoke, there was a loud crash on the rooftop of the car, and at the same time, the car swerved suddenly. Felicity realized John must have thrown his car in front of theirs. They fish tailed a bit, and then when they came crashing to a halt, Felicity’s door was wrenched open and she felt herself snatched into Oliver’s arms, into a crushing embrace. She heard a scuffle behind her, and she knew it was John pulling Jeremy out of the car.

Oliver pulled his head back to ask, “Felicity are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m fine, but you’d better pull yourself together.” John had Jeremy on the other side of the car, but they didn’t know if the driver were conscious and could see them, and they were still trying to preserve Oliver’s identity.

“Not until I know you’re okay.” He said emphatically, sounding terrified.

She put a hand up on his cheek, “Really, I’m okay Oliver, please don’t worry.” She stood on tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. Only after she had done so did he step away and go around the back of the car. Felicity looked quickly at the driver, who seemed to have hit his head on the window, knocking himself unconscious. She stuck her hand in the car, reaching up to him to put her hand on his neck, feeling his pulse, which was going strong. She walked back around behind the car to see John in position with his gun drawn, though for the moment, since she assumed they were still trying to keep Oliver’s secret, he was trying to look like he had it pointed at Oliver…who had an arrow pointed directly at Jeremy’s heart. 

Jeremy who, for some reason, looked slightly less than frightened, stupidly so, Felicity thought…he had no idea exactly how much danger he was in right now. He likely assumed that since she obviously WASN’T working for the NSA or the FBI, he was less at risk, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

“Wait, so…you work with the Arrow?”

“Err…,” She figured there was really no way to walk this back, since there was no plausible reason why seconds after her comm went dark, The Arrow appeared, so.... “Yes, I work with The Arrow.”

“Ahh…hence the comms.”

“Yes…and you’re Nick Night.” She stared intently at him as she stated this.

Jeremy sat there a minute, weighing the best thing to say to that, then accepting that they had likely already figured it out, said,

“Yes.”

“You’re the tech Cat burglar.”

“Well…in a manner of speaking.”

Felicity tilted her head as if to ask another question when she saw out of the corner of her eye that Jeremy’s admission had done nothing to calm Oliver down, rather…just the opposite. She decided an intervention was required before Jeremy found himself with an arrow in his chest.

“Um, Mr. Arrow, can you maybe take it down a notch?” She was trying to calm Oliver down, as well as lighten the mood a bit.

“No.”

“Wow, do you think you could maybe think about that for like 10 seconds?”

“No.”

She could feel John starting to shift a bit and she figured he was as unsure as she was about what Oliver intended to do next.

“Really now, I think we’re okay. The driver’s out cold, and I think we’d know by now if there were any other bad guys coming.”

“No.”

Felicity had had enough. She stalked over to Oliver and got up in his space, and tilted her head back, seemingly unintimidated by him, no mean feat since he looked even more massive in his Arrow leathers, than he did usually, though how that could be the case she wasn’t sure.

“Okay, that’s enough. If John zip ties him, will you at least take it down a level or two, and maybe move the Arrow so it’s not right on top of his heart?”

He looked like he wanted to say no again, but looking at the tiny, yet scary, blonde next to him, out of the corner of his eye, he thought better of it. Instead, he nodded, and John came over and tied up Jeremy’s hands behind his back.

“So, what now?” John asked, giving up the ghost, since Felicity had unintentionally compromised John with her previous question.

“Well clearly, Felicity’s plan was a bust.”

“Well maybe it wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t had the Hardy boys in my ear questioning basically everything I said.” She suddenly realized the two of them had just blown John’s cover, oh well…

John had the sense to look a bit chastised, but Oliver’s adrenaline was still too high, his heart had stopped when he’d heard the crushing of Felicity’s comm…and it was only just now, seeing that she was safe, and hearing her light into them in her usual adorable manner, that he was starting to breathe once again.

But he ignored her comment and said, “We still need to question him.”

“Well, I don’t think we need to take him…” John drifted off.

“No, I’ve got another plan in mind.”

“In mind for what?” Felicity demanded.

“Questioning him.”

“Uh huh…what kind of…you know what, don’t answer that…I know the answer to that, and that would be a no.”

“Fe-li-ci-ty.” 

Wow, why did growly Arrow voice saying her name like that…do things…to her…

She shook that off and said, “Look, I’m telling you, as I have been telling you for days, we don’t need to do that. He’s not Malcolm Merlyn, he’s not the Count, he’s not even the Dollmaker, okay? All evidence to the contrary, and ignoring the fact that he just did something he really shouldn’t have, I still think he’s basically a good guy, doing oddly bad things.”

“I am a good guy.”

Three heads turned and looked at him simultaneously and said, “Quiet.”

“We don’t know that for sure, and…he tried to hurt you.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, he scared you, and sorry, but that’s enough for me.”

“Well, it’s not enough for me,” she countered in her loud voice. “Can you trust me? Can you please trust my judgment here? As a member of the team?”

Oliver, turned to look down at her, his blue eyes still reflecting the terror he had experienced just moments before, when he thought she had been harmed by the man in front of him.

Jeremy somehow knew that it meant nothing that the Arrow wasn’t looking directly at him, that he would be able to hit Jeremy spot on without hesitation. Listening to Felicity list out just some of the many villains the Arrow, or previously…The Hood, had eliminated in the last couple of years, and the fact that Felicity had helped him to do all this, meant he had been vastly underestimating her. He’d realized she was highly intelligent, but he hadn’t really given any thought to the strength she possessed to have gone through all of that.

She spoke softly now and placed a small hand gently on the upper arm of The Arrow, something Jeremy knew with certainty, no one else would dare attempt when he was poised to attack. 

“I’m really all right O…” She caught herself, and glanced quickly sideways at Jeremy, and turned a light pink at her gaffe.

“Oh, don’t worry Ms. Smoak.” He decided he might as well return to formality since he clearly was out of the running for anything more with her. “I’ve already figured it out….” 

And he had. John Diggle, former Army Special forces and Felicity Smoak, Cyber Genius, chosen known associates and confidants of…. Plus, Jeremy had gotten exceptionally good over the years at assessing space, size, etc.…and you only had to look at the height, size, and build of The Arrow to know who was under that hood. Really, he wasn’t sure how he hadn’t been unmasked before now, particularly given the obvious coincidence of the beginning of the vigilante’s activities and the return of….

“…Mr. Queen.”

They all turned and looked at him, clearly taken aback.

“Please, you’ve been giving me pieces all along, but this evening, you’ve very considerately put them all in immediate proximity to each other, allowing it to become abundantly clear.”

“Well, that complicates things,” said Oliver.

Felicity whipped her head around to him, “Hey! What happened to keeping your identity hidden from him?”

“He’s clearly figured it out Felicity, so I think that ship has sailed.”

“Well, it wasn’t confirmed.”

“Until now.” Jeremy said amusedly.

Felicity stepped back, huffed, and crossed her arms on her chest.

John’s position didn’t change, he stayed on alert, directly behind Nacht. Jeremy was certain he wouldn’t stand down until he was given leave to do so, a good solider…but there was no doubt who the commanding officer of this unit was, though he supposed said commander was highly influenced by both of his partners. Yes, not a coincidence Oliver had shown up at their lunch date. He’d had enough competition with Oliver Queen, but against a vigilante hero who could literally swoop down and save the damsel? Though, clearly, the damsel in question was quite capable of saving herself should it be necessary. 

No, he’d had no chance. He looked up and saw the Arrow, knowing John was in complete control of the prisoner, step back under the streetlight and lower his arrow. He then pulled down his hood and took off his mask, and Jeremy saw a vastly different Oliver Queen than he had ever seen; not the spoiled, trust fund playboy who kept the tabloids busy in his youth, nor even the slightly incompetent, wealthy, and vastly underqualified CEO. Rather he was seeing, what Jeremy supposed was the true face of Oliver Queen, an intelligent, battled hardened (what had happened on that island?), powerful and ruthless man, and given this, he suddenly realized he could have a bigger problem than he had first considered. Because it was the woman who was, he now understood, clearly the love of his life, who Jeremy had been trying to date, and who he had unintentionally scared, even though he would have never hurt her. So he had better try to explain himself.

“So…I think I need to clear some things up.”

“Okay,” said Felicity, “We’re listening.”

“Um, not here…While I don’t doubt your ability to lay waste to any unfortunate person who may try to accost us Mr. Queen, I would like to avoid being interrupted while I tell you my story.”

“Well then where?” Felicity asked.

“Since you seem reluctant to provide the location of your…headquarters, to demonstrate my good faith, I will take you to mine.”

“How do we know it’s not a trap?” Oliver asked cagily.

“Well, you don’t, you have only my word. I will tell you though, that I work alone. But, for your comfort, if I have correctly accessed the role Ms. Smoak plays in your organization, and given her background, I’m quite certain she has some means of determining if the building to which I take you is in fact empty. Or am I wrong?”

“You have no idea.” Oliver and John answered simultaneously.

Felicity blushed again, this time at the unwavering confidence Oliver and John had in her abilities.

“Um…no, you’re not wrong.” She said demurely.

“Felicity, do you need your tablet? John has it in the car.” Oliver asked.

“No, I can do it from my phone.”

“She can do it from her phone…” Jeremy said bemusedly. Really, he still had underestimated her.

“Yes. She. Can.” Oliver looked down at her, a soft smile on his face, something Jeremy was quite certain no one outside of this little group had ever seen. And here was the last facet of the complex reality that was Oliver Queen, the tenderness and care he showed to Felicity. His reputation had always been of a callow player, who treated women like he treated everything else in his life, things to entertain him until he grew bored and moved on to the next thing. That was obviously the opposite of how he viewed, and treated, Ms. Smoak, who didn’t even notice the gaze of complete adoration he was directing toward her, he was clearly in love with her. And the person standing before him, the intimidating and completely confidant vigilante, and the man who cherished one small woman, was likely who he really was since he had returned from that island. Jeremy supposed that the image of the nightclub hopping lothario that Oliver Queen had cultivated since returning, primarily before he became CEO, was another layer of the front he had created and erected around himself, to obscure his alter ego. But clearly Felicity, and Mr. Diggle…though differently so, had the code word to go behind that barricade, but no one else. 

Wow…he really hoped they believed him. 

Once they had called 911, for his driver, they followed Jeremy’s directions, with Mr. Diggle driving, Felicity in the passenger seat keeping an eye on her phone, and Oliver in the back seat keeping an eye on him, they arrived at a darkened warehouse not too far from the Foundry. 

“Felicity?” Oliver asked as they pulled to a halt in front of the building.

“One second.” She was tapping in her usual lightning-fast manner on her phone, with a few final taps, said, “And…clear. No sign of anyone else in or around the structure.”

“Okay, let’s go.” John took Nacht by the arm, his hands still tied up, as they walked to the door.

“Mr. Diggle. I do need my hands to get into the building.”

John looked to Oliver, who nodded.

Once his hands were free, Jeremy went to the building and tapped on the keypad, at which point a panel with a keyboard, slid back, revealing a scanner with a camera. Nacht leaned in and placed his eye in front of it.

“OH Wow, the new retinal scanner…now we know why you designed it. Does it…” Felicity was about to slide into tech world, so intrigued was she by the scanner. Until she looked at Oliver who was staring at her with furrowed brows.

“Right. We can talk about this later.” Felicity muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

They walked into the building, which was in fact a giant warehouse, with a small alcove to the right, not unlike the Arrow Cave, minus the arrows of course, with a computer, some chairs, a few tech devices, and several very large servers. But what was holding their attention was what the rest of the warehouse held.

It was a vast array of technical equipment, rows and rows…all gleaming, complex, and in all different sizes.

Felicity walked toward them in a daze, like she was seeing Aladdin’s Cave, or the City of Gold.

“Felicity!” Oliver yelled, warning her to be careful.

“Oh, it’s quite safe, I disarmed the security fields surrounding each item. Ms. Smoak may look to her heart’s content.”

John had remained behind and slightly to the left of Nacht, in position to deal with him instantly should he do something unexpected.

“Okay, so we’re here. Do you want to tell us what all this is?” Oliver asked in pure Arrow voice, which even without the hood and mask, was incredibly intimidating.

“This Mr. Queen, is my doomsday vault, or that’s at least the name I’ve given it.”

“What does that mean? That these are all the thing you’ll use to trigger some sort of Doomsday?” Oliver asked, thoughts of Malcolm Merlyn and the earthquake machine were running though his mind.

“No, the very opposite.” Nacht said exultantly.

Felicity had managed to pull herself away from the tech emporium extravaganza, to rejoin her teammates.

“What, you want to start an Anti-Doomsday?” John asked.

Felicity had gone into her “thinking big things” zone, when suddenly she exclaimed, “I knew it! You are a good guy, I was right! HAH!” She threw up a huge victorious fist pump. Her shout of glee was aimed at Oliver, whose lips turned up at the corner, clearly amused by her antics then the mask came back down.

“Explain.”

“Well….” Jeremy began.

“He’s been stealing tech that has the potential to be used for evil and safeguarding it here.” Felicity said triumphantly and a trifle smugly, still basking in the victory of her accurate assessment of him.

Jeremy smiled at Felicity and said, “Precisely…You are quite brilliant Ms. Smoak.” He said this with a tone of flirtation which did not go over well with Oliver.

“Why should we believe you?” He growled, and as he did so, he moved closer to Felicity, and placed himself in front of her.

Felicity clearly knowing exactly what he was doing, grabbed him by the hem of his jacket and pulled him back, giving him a glare as she did so. To which Oliver replied with an expression of exasperation, appearing completely devoid of remorse.

“Well because, I’m quite sure by now that Felicity has researched thoroughly my background, and my activities, as well as traced the history and patterns surrounding each of these devices, and has learned that not only have none of these items shown back up on the illegal tech market, none of them have ever been seen again, much less used in any untoward or dangerous fashion.”

“He’s right Oliver. Once each item has been stolen, it just disappears. There is actually discussion that can be found on the dark web, about bad guys who want to get their hands on these but can’t find them again.”

“And that is because they are all right here and have been so since the day I liberated them from their previous owners, along with all specs and data associated with their creation.” Jeremy indicated with his hand the servers behind them. 

“Okay, I can certainly see how you might have taken tech that is intended for good, but has potential for bad, but what about the Expanded Reverse Osmosis tech you stole from Queen Consolidated? What could be evil about clean water for those who don’t have access to it?” Oliver asked defensively. He of course knew the answer to that question, he just wanted to see what Nacht would say. As CEO he was fully aware of the potential problem with the device, that the AS division had alerted him to, which was the precise reason it hadn’t yet been deployed. 

“Ah, you’ve hit on it exactly. Yes, that is quite the device you’ve come up with, and it can certainly improve the quality of life for thousands, if not millions, of people. But it could also be used for the widespread distribution of various less benevolent substances.”

“But how can you know that’s what would happen?” Oliver was working as hard as he could to trip up this smug jackass.

“I don’t, and answering that question is a big part of my day job. I do a great deal of risk assessment and character analysis of the corporations and CEOs from whom I have taken these items.”

“So, like me.” Oliver stated.

“Exactly like you.”

“And?”

“Well, you’ve been a tough one Mr. Queen, I’ve had a great deal of difficulty getting a handle on who and what you are, but now I know…,” he indicated Oliver’s bow and quiver, “…there was a reason for this. But I was finally able to reach a conclusion after a final bit of information.”

“And what was that?”

“I finally determined that there was in fact a sound ethics in place at Queen Consolidated, and that the source of this ethical framework, would never be involved with something that could ever harm others.”

“What’s the source of this ‘sound ethics?’” Oliver asked, though he had a feeling about what Nacht was going to say.

“Ms. Smoak.”

“Me?” Felicity asked confusedly.

“Yes. While I still had doubts about the CEO of QC, when I got to know Felicity, and really understood the extent of her role and influence on said CEO, and the direction of the company, I realized that the Osmosis tech was in good hands and would not be used with any ill intentions.”

“So, why haven’t you returned it?”

“How do you know I haven’t?”

“Um…”

“You should be receiving notice, any time now, telling you the device has suddenly reappeared.”

Oliver stood there a moment just staring at Jeremy, his glare no less intense than it had been when he’d been brandishing an arrow and wearing a mask. He then looked down as if he were doing some sort of mental calculation. Jeremy had a feeling many men had stood before him in such a way, under that gaze, waiting to be judged. Any notion that this man was an idiot, as Jeremy had said to Felicity earlier, had quickly evaporated in the face of what was clearly a vast and shrewd intelligence. Jeremy hoped that he had presented the evidence necessary for the judgement to go his way, but he couldn’t be sure. What he could be sure of was the weight that the little blonde standing next to him carried, and he had a feeling it was substantial.

After what felt like an eternity, Oliver turned to look down at Felicity and stared into her eyes. How on earth could he have imagined he’d ever stood a chance with her. Well to be fair, he’d never actually been in the same room with the two of them, other than for a couple of minutes at that farce of a lunch, not since the gala. Because they were standing there having an entire conversation with their eyes, without uttering a single syllable. After a few moments of this, Oliver turned to look behind Jeremy and he gave a short nod, causing the soldier behind him to release his posture and step away.

“Ahh, so you’ve decided to believe me about my intentions.”

“For now. But if something should change, don’t doubt for a moment that you will be dealt with in a swift and unpleasant manner.”

“Of course.” Jeremy thought he’d survived, but…apparently, not quite. Because then, Oliver stepped toward him and loomed over him, which given that he wasn’t but a couple of inches taller than Jeremy, was quite something…but the vigilante weighed substantially more than Jeremy did, possessing at least an additional twenty or thirty pounds of seemingly solid muscle.

“However, let me be clear. Don’t think for a moment that I will forget that you caused someone I care about to be scared, someone incredibly important to me.” This last was said in a growl. At that moment Felicity stepped toward the two of them, looked up and said,

“Oliver!”

And that was all it took for Oliver to step away.

Jeremy gave him a short nod. As the three of them began to move toward the door, Jeremy called out,

“Before you go, may I have a final word with Ms. Smoak?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Jeremy saw that Felicity was staring right into the big man’s face as she continued to disagree with him. Finally, she had had enough.

“Um, Ms. Smoak is more than capable of speaking for herself…” Felicity glared at Oliver, “…and prefers any questions regarding her to be directed TO HER.” She walked toward Jeremy, and though she stayed only a couple of steps away from him, she was very much apart. She and Oliver seemed to move perpetually within each other’s space, essentially as if they were two planetary objects in the same orbit, and while they may move in different directions at different times, were never actually separated. That was definitely not the case between herself and Jeremy, though he suspected that was as much for the sake of his safety, as for hers. She looked up at him with an open, yet reserved expression.

Jeremy hesitated a moment before speaking, then asked, “Did I ever have a chance?”

Felicity blushed a little and replied, “To be honest, not really.” Not wanting to hurt his feelings, she then rushed quickly to say, “Not that you aren’t worthy of a chance, you definitely are…”

Was that a growl? Jeremy wondered, he looked over Felicity’s shoulder to see Oliver staring at him with murderous intent.

“…it’s just truly, I knew in my heart, even from the start, that you weren’t the right guy. Even though you’re a smart, and kind, and handsome…”

Really, what was that Jeremy thought, hearing the growl again, was there a dog in the alley next door?

“…guy,” she went on, “…it’s just you’re the wrong smart, kind, handsome guy.” 

Okay, the growling had stopped.

“Kind? Really?” Jeremy nodded his head toward the, at least to his eyes, savage looking man behind her, and raised his eyebrows skeptically.

“Yes. Kind…,” she said emphatically, “…incredibly kind.” Her face softened as she said this.

It was funny, Jeremy mused, that any descriptor regarding the financial worth of either himself or Mr. Queen, didn’t make Felicity’s list of worthy attributes, but that was part of what made her so special.

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“So, what will you do now?” Felicity asked.

“Well, I think I’ve covered all the territory I wanted to in Starling City, so I have a few loose ends to tie up, and then I’ll move on to the next quarry on my list.”

“I guess I would say good luck, but…I think I’ll also say, be careful.”

“I always am.” 

“Because you know, I’m sure, the people who do the sort of things you are trying to prevent, are also the sort of people who won’t take kindly to whomever is doing, what you are doing. We’ve had some experience with this, and…you aren’t going to get the kind of break from them that Oliver’s giving you.”

“I’m well aware of that but…I am also quite sure I owe that break to you, not Mr. Queen.”

She blushed again, “I think you’re overestimating my influence here.”

“No. I don’t think I am Ms. Smoak.”

She simply blushed more and looked down at the floor.

A throat cleared behind her, so Felicity looked back up, smiled, and stuck her hand out for Jeremy to shake.

He chuckled softly, and then couldn’t resist poking the…green bear one last time. So instead of shaking her hand, he grasped it fully, pulled her to him, and leaned over to give her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Yes, there it was, as he heard the menacing growl, he looked behind her once again.

Felicity pulled back, looking slightly admonishing, then nodded, and walked over to Oliver. As she did so, moving briskly toward him, as she came up to him, he stuck his hand out, and she grasped it, and their fingers entwined automatically, a small pale hand, interlocked with a much larger leather clad one, looking as if they were simply two pieces of a puzzle who looked complete only when they had connected each to the other. They moved within an inch of each other, and Jeremy had a feeling, they didn’t even realize they had done so automatically and instinctually.

Mr. Diggle gave Jeremy one last nod, then turned smartly around to follow them out of the warehouse.

\-----------------------------------------------

They pulled into the parking garage, a few blocks away from QC, where Oliver had stashed his bike, before he’d gone up on the roof to watch over Felicity. Oliver wanted to be the one to take Felicity home, but knew that wouldn’t work, he couldn’t exactly roll up to her building dressed as he was, and her outfit didn’t really lend itself to riding on the back of a motorcycle.

Felicity had ridden in the front with John, while Oliver sat in the back of the SUV. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet on the ride, which concerned him a bit.

He tried to tell himself that she was only tired, but he knew that wasn’t it, or not all of it. They all sat there in silence for a moment when they reached their stop. Oliver realized she wasn’t going to say anything, and understanding it might not be the best time to press her, he opened the door and reaching one hand to press her shoulder said, “Talk to you later?” She turned briefly, not meeting his eyes, nodded, and said, “Mmhmm…later,” then turned back to keep looking out the window.

Oliver sighed and then said, “Okay then, night John.”

“Night Oliver.”

He got out and shut the door and stood watching as John didn’t waste any time pulling away and out of the garage. It wouldn’t do to have anyone seeing the two of them with him dressed as The Arrow.

He stood there a minute, feeling at a loss, then realizing he really wasn’t going to be happy until he found out what was going on with Felicity, he hopped on his bike, and sped out into the night, a singular goal in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON’T HATE ME  
> I have known from the moment I conceived this story, what the climax of the plot would be…and this was it.  
> The reason for this, sort of came to me as I was getting closer to it, which was, Oliver’s judgment is usually so good, I think really – he’s an excellent leader and strategist, which I think gets conveyed on the show some, but perhaps maybe not enough, I think that’s where fanfiction has really stepped up, but – I wanted his judgment here to be just a little bit compromised by his jealousy and the fact that he was finally acknowledging his feelings for Felicity, forcing him to sort of recalibrate how he is thinking about a lot of things, which for him, and his emotional scarring and challenges, proves to be incredibly overwhelming, which then clouds the way he approached what went on here. But in the end, I wanted to show that it doesn’t matter because they are a team, and if one of them has it wrong – they can count on the other to get it right.  
> Thanks again for reading  
> See you next time


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